Submission deadline for the Viktor Obendrauf Prize 2025: 30 September 2025
Only the first submission of a thesis will be considered for the award of the prize. The approval date of the submitted thesis must be in the academic year 2024/25. Repeated submission of the same thesis in several award periods is not possible.
Criteria for the award
When awarding the Viktor Obendrauf Prize, the focus is placed on the one hand on the research reference to current research topics, using the latest literature and orientation towards important research results, and on the other hand on the consideration of a reference to the school, with the possibility of direct use of the findings or elaborations for active teachers. Those works are also eligible to apply that, in addition to the essential scientific criteria, do not have a direct connection to schools, but are entirely dedicated to subject didactics in the broader sense. In addition to the public visibility that this award provides, the achievements of the award winners are also honoured with a certificate and prize money. The Viktor Obendrauf Prize is awarded at the annual Teaching Day in autumn.
Documents to be submitted
The nomination for the Viktor Obendrauf Prize can be by the Master's graduates in spe or the doctoral studentsstudents themselves or via the supervisors be made. There is no legal entitlement to the Viktor Abendrauf Prize.
FFor the application the following documents within the submission deadline by e-mail to the Centre for Pedagogical Education to submit:
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Application form incl. abstract (max. 1,000 characters) of the Master's thesis or dissertation by e-mail. The signed form must be attached to the e-mail as a scan.
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Thesis as pdf-document
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Certificate of the Master's thesis or dissertation, grade: Very good or good
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Supervisor's report (possibly including application endorsement) for Master's theses or dissertations
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Letter of motivation from the student for submission for the award
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Proof of the date of graduation
Information on data protection
The previous award winners
2023
Marko Eduard Fasching, BEd. MEd.
Teaching the topic of climate change in Austrian schools of the 8th grade (Sek I): Analysing, developing and testing new teaching materials
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr Bettina Weber
Mag.rer.nat Christina Imp, BSc. PhD.
Elementary numerical understanding of positive rational numbers in different forms of representation. Development of a diagnostic instrument and investigation of correlations in strategic behaviour
Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof.i.R. Dr.phil. Bernd Thaller
Katharina Mitter, BEd. MEd.
The influence of extensive reading on the reading motivation and reading attitudes of pupils learning a living foreign language. A comparison between an Austrian and a Spanish grammar school. A quantitative analysis.
Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. MA. Barbara Hinger
Mag. phil. Eva Wenig, PhD.
Christian-Islamic team teaching. A study on a religiously co-operative teaching setting as a basis for interreligious learning processes
Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.theol. Wolfgang Weirer
2022
Markus Leitner BEd MEd
Master thesis: Time for the energy transition: An action-orientated approach to the physics of alternative energy sources based on the workshop Energy for Amberta
Supervisor: Mag.rer.nat. PhD Thomas Schubatzky
Melanie Reichholf BEd MEd
Master's thesis: Rereading Ovid in times of #metoo. Gender issues as a task and potential for Latin lessons
Supervisor: Priv.-Doz. Dr.phil. Markus Hafner
Tizian Joseph Ruckenbauer BEd Med
Master's thesis: The didactic potential of memes for the acquisition of humour competence in Spanish lessons at Austrian secondary schools
Supervisor: Ass.-Prof. Mag. Mag. Dr.phil. Elke Höfler
MMag.rer.nat. Eva Andrea Strasser Bakk.rer.nat.
Diploma thesis: Photosynthesis in science lessons - experimentation, research-based teaching and scientific work for all age groups
Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof. Dr.phil. Maria Müller
2021
Mag.a Anja Hörzer, Teacher Training Programme German & History, Social Studies and Political Education
Diploma thesis "Sigismund von Herberstein as a representative of regional history. A comparative study of regional history teaching at two Styrian secondary schools."
Reviewer: Prof. Dr Nikolaus Reisinger
Anja Hörzer in a video interview
Felix Mehsner, MA, Teacher Training in Applied Ethics Master's thesis
"Student-centred teaching using the flipped classroom in times of (partial) distance learning.
Reviewer: Dr Barbara Reiter
Felix Mehsner in a video interview
Thomas Schubatzky, PhD,
"The amalgam of initial electricity teaching. A multi-perspective view in Germany and Austria."
Reviewers: University of Graz: Univ.-Prof.in Dr Claudia Haagen-Schützenhöfer, RWTH Aachen: Prof. Dr Jose Riese
Thomas Schubatzky in video interview
2020
Mag. Rita Hartinger
The acquisition of key competences at school. An interdisciplinary adventure project week for the positive acquisition of competences in the subjects of movement and sport and English
Reviewer: Ao. Prof. Dr Andrea Paletta
Rita Hartinger in a video interview
Helene Kortschak, BA
Investigating Mindfulness Meditation to Promote Wellbeing in Pre-service Language Teachers
Reviewer: Univ.-Prof. M.A Ph.D Sarah Mercer
Helene Kortschak in a video interview
MMag. Stephan Schicker, Ph.D
"The argumentation was a bit poor" - on learners' text evaluation skills. An intervention study on the initiation of text judgement competence in multilingual acquisition constellations
Reviewer: Prof. Dr Sabine Schmölzer-Eibinger
Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr Nicole Marx
Stephan Schicker in a video interview
Carina Schöllauf, MSc MSc
Didactic knowledge of teachers in accounting: A literature review
Reviewer: Prof. Dr Michaela Stock
Co-supervisor: Assistant Prof. Dr Elisabeth Riebenbauer
2019
Mag. Christina Deibuk
"Le razze non esistono"- Insegnare la cultura nella classe d'Italiano sulla base die testi di Igiaba Scego
Reviewer: Dr Simona Bartoli- Kucher
Stephany Sigott
Integrating Content and Language: A Linguistic Analysis of CLIL Classroom Discourse
Reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr Margit Reitbauer
Marie-Theres Ortner
"The potential of zoos as extracurricular learning centres for biology lessons. A teaching concept at the Herberstein Zoo."
Reviewer: Mag. Dr.rer.nat. Stephan Monschein
Co-supervisor: Dr Cornelia Franz-Schaider
Birgit Scherz Mag.
"I can only protect what I know"- On the action-orientated implementation of the topic of nature conservation in the subject of biology and environmental studies
Reviewer: Mag. Dr.rer.nat. Stephan Monschein
2018
Thomas Lechner
The paradigm concept as a structuring element of competence-oriented psychology didactics
Reviewer: Philipp Stummer
Denise Diex, BSc
Use of intercultural training at business academies - potentials and implementation to promote intercultural competence
Reviewer: Univ.-Prof Michaela Stock
Mag. Eva Wenig
Imagination and gaining religious knowledge: The dimension of imagination in religious education and the contribution of biblical fantasy journeys to promoting the power of imagination
Reviewer: DDr. Christian Feichtinger
Mag. Christian Dorfer
Movement stories as a means of developing social competence in the primary sector. A project in the primary school in Ranten (Styria)
Reviewer: Dr Andrea Paletta
Philipp Baschinger
How do pupils experience cognitive conflict in terms of their motivation to learn and achieve and their self-image as learners?
Reviewer: Dr Helga Voglhuber
2017
Katharina Kreuzer
CLIL in Secondary School: A Practical Approach to Teaching 'The Wave'
Reviewer: Dr Geaorg Marschnig
Mag. Isabella Steyer
La diversità è una ricchezza: testi letterari e audiovisivi per l'educazione alla tolleranza
Reviewer: Dr Simona Bartoli-Kucher
Mag. Kerstin Stromberger
The influence of CLIL on content learning outcomes in Biology lessons based on the topic nutrition
Reviewer: Ass.-Prof. Dipl.-Biol. Dr Uwe Simon
2015
Florian Knopper
History lessons in the immigration society. An empirical analysis among young people in Graz
Reviewer: Mag. Dr.phil. Georg Marschnig
Greta Korper, BA
Reading in the Constructivist Classroom. An Empirical Study on Strategies Facilitating Reading Comprehension and Retention
Reviewer Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. Margit Reitbauer
Gabriel Hofer-Ranz, BA MA
The temporalisation of the timeless. An investigation into the didactic potential of integrating elements from the history of mathematics into maths lessons.
Reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr phil. Bernd THALLER
Co-supervisor: Mag. rer. nat. Klaudia SINGER
2014
Mag. Krisztina Goda
Didactic integration of Romance languages into the basic Latin course
Reviewer: Dr Renate Oswald
Elisabeth Locker
Can competences be taught?
Development of historical competences on the basis of the FUER model in competence-oriented history lessons in grade 7 An empirical study
Reviewer: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. Reisinger Nikolaus
Mag. Veronika Valorz
Letteratura e film dell'immigrazione nell'insegnamento dell'italiano come lingua straniera. Un'esperienza legata al progetto di cooperazione tra l'Istituto di Romanistica dell'Università di Graz e il BG/ BRG Seebacher
Reviewer: Dr Simona Bartoli-Kucher
Anja Arnfelser
Paper in the classroom
Production and examination of pulp in chemistry lessons
Reviewer: Ao. Prof. Dr rer. nat. Gössler Walter
Co-supervisor: Mag. Josefine Jaritz
MMag. Marion Fruhmann
Paper in the subject Biology and Environmental Studies (Secondary Level I)
Reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. rer. nat. Dr. phil. HELMUT GUTTENBERGER
Co-supervision: Dr Stephan Monschein
DI Claus del Negro
Interdisciplinary teaching in physics on the topic of paper in secondary level 1
Reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr Leopold Mathelitsch
2013
Judith Bedenik
Lire, ça fait plaisir. Reading skills, literature didactics and concrete applications for French lessons
Reviewer: Dr Ingeborg Ledun-Kahlig
Dr Eva Ariane Kaufmann
THE READING CRISIS AT THE BEGINNING OF PUBERTY. Causes of the reading crisis and its manifestations in adolescents with German as a second language.
First reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr phil. Sabine Schmölzer-Eibinger
Second assessor: O. Univ.-Prof. Dr Paul R. Portmann-Tselikas
Philipp Stummer
Competently assessed? Aspects of performance assessment in philosophy and ethics lessons against the background of the discussion on competences
Reviewer: Priv.-Doz. Dr Franz ZEDER
2012
Veronika Almer
The importance of Fermi tasks for competence-orientated teaching in the lower school
Reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr.phil. Bernd Thaller
Bianca Knöbelreiter
Self-directed learning in geography and economics lessons: an alternative to externally directed learning?
Reviewer: Univ.-Doz. Prof. Mag.phil. Dr.rer.nat. Kaspar Oswald Klappacher
Mag. Angelika Würlinger
Sustainability in philosophy lessons at AHS. Why the concepts of education and sustainability are necessarily linked. A plea for a competence-orientated approach
Reviewer: Ao.Univ.Prof. Mag.theol. Dr.phil. Wolfgang Gombocz
2011
Mag. Claudia Grazei
Lifeworld-orientated philosophy teaching: New methods for the everyday demand of philosophical competences
Reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Mag. theol. Dr. phil. Wolfgang Gombocz
Vera Morandell
Educational standards in maths lessons. Analysis of tasks and development of competence-orientated exercises on the topic "Circle and circle parts"
Reviewer: Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr Bernd Thaller
Ulrich Kaiser-Kaplaner
Clear the classroom stage! Background and possibilities for the use of theatre pedagogical methods for teaching literature in French lessons
Reviewer: Mag. Dr.phil. Ingeborg Ledun-Kahlig
In memory of Viktor Obendrauf, each year the Vice-Rectorate for Studies and Teaching honours the three best didactic Master's theses in teacher training programmes (including Master's programmes in Business Education and Catholic Religious Education) and dissertations approved at the University of Graz with prize money of 1,000 euros each. The jury is made up of the head of the Centre for Teacher Education (ZfP), the deans of studies (GEWI, NAWI, URBI, SOWI, THEOL) and representatives of the ÖH. The committee selects three outstanding theses for the Viktor Obendrauf Prize from the nominations received.
Who was Viktor Obendrauf?
Professor Viktor Obendrauf was known far beyond Austria's borders for his exciting and impressive experimental lectures. He worked part-time as a teacher at BORG Feldbach and part-time as a didactic lecturer at the University of Graz. Obendrauf knew how to transfer his enthusiasm for chemistry to his audience like no other.
The ease and joy with which he carried out his experiments also convinced non-specialists. He also enjoyed breaking new ground in didactics. During his professional career, Obendrauf passed on his knowledge to chemistry enthusiasts all over the world in more than 220 lectures, seminars and workshops as well as in over 140 articles in specialised didactic journals.
Among other things, he was editor of the specialist journal "Praxis der Naturwissenschaften - Chemie in der Schule", textbook author and, until 2009, Vice President of the Austrian Association of Chemistry Teachers. Viktor Obendrauf died on 28 August 2010 after a long illness.
