Petra Bauer

Prof. Dr. Petra Bauer is a Professor of Social Pedagogy at the Institute of Educational Science, University of Tübingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences. She has held this position since 2009 and maintains an active research program while teaching in the Department of Social Pedagogy. Her office is located in Münzgasse 22-28, Room 310, and she holds regular office hours for students and colleagues during semesters.

Prof. Bauer's academic journey includes studies in Pedagogy (Diploma) at the University of Tübingen (1985-1994), followed by further training as a systemic therapist and consultant (1997-2000). Her professional positions include:

• Scientific Associate at Friedrich Schiller University, Jena (1997-2004)
• Research Assistant at Free University of Berlin (2004-2009)
• Professor of Social Pedagogy at University of Tübingen (2009-present)

Her research focuses on social-educational counseling and supervision, multi-professional cooperation and networking, social-educational professional research (particularly case constitution processes), and family and social work. A significant current focus is the expansion of the Counseling Research Center, where she designs and conducts both practical and theoretical research projects on social-educational counseling across various settings.

Analysis of Prof. Bauer's recent publications (2016-2022) reveals deep engagement with transitions in life course ("Doing transitions"), professionalization processes in counseling, and family dynamics in social work contexts. Her work has evolved from case-level analysis to broader systemic understanding of social pedagogical practices, with increasing emphasis on institutional dimensions of counseling and competence development in multi-professional settings.

Prof. Bauer maintains significant editorial and professional commitments:

• Co-editor of the Journal of Social Pedagogy (since 2014)
• Co-editor of the journal Kontext (2010-2023)
• Member of the German Society for Systemic Therapy, Counseling and Family Therapy
• Member of the Sociology of Professions section of the German Sociological Association
• Member of the German Society for Educational Science

She has led major research initiatives including the DFG-Graduiertenkolleg "Doing transitions" and the Counseling Research Center. Her projects span from practical applications like ProfiL (Professionalization through Counseling in Teacher Education) to theoretical developments in social pedagogy. Her work demonstrates consistent integration of empirical research with practical applications in social work settings.

Prof. Bauer actively contributes to the Counseling Research Center, which serves as a hub for collaborative research bridging academic theory and practical social work. Through this center, she facilitates research projects examining counseling practices across various social work settings while supporting the professional development of emerging scholars in the field.