The German Panel of Teacher Education Students: Surveying (Prospective) Teachers from Higher Education into Working Life

This paper describes the design, survey instruments, data, and their potential for use of a longitudinal study of (prospective) teachers in Germany that follows their professional and competence development from teacher education into the first years in the teaching profession. The Panel of Teacher Education Students (Lehramtsstudierenden-Panel (LAP)) is linked to the Starting Cohort 5 of the National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), which initially included about 18,000 first-year students in the winter term 2010/2011 and an oversampling of teacher education students (about 5,500 students). From 2014 onwards, multiple survey instruments—for example, aspects of preparatory service and of professional competence, instructional practices, and professional development— were specifically addressed to (prospective) teachers. The data was collected in 19 waves between 2010 and 2022.