Current Call for Papers

Call for Papers

didacticum – Journal for (Subject-Specific) Didactics in Research and Teaching from the University College of Teacher Education Styria

Issue 2028

“didacticum - Zeitschrift für (Fach)Didaktik in Forschung und Unterricht” is an online journal series for research and teaching practice. It is aimed equally at university lecturers and students in teacher education, as well as educators at all school types. The goal is to initiate and foster (subject) didactic discourse, contributing to the dialogue between research and teaching.
For further information see https://didacticum.phst.at.

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Submission of Contribution

Theme for 2028 Issue

Talent Research and Talent Development: Perspectives and Impulses for Research, Teaching, and Professionalization

What is the focus of this special issue of didacticum?

The 2028 issue of the online journal „didacticum – Journal for (Subject) Didactics in Research and Teaching“ published by the University of Teacher Education Styria aims to provide open-access publication of current developments, challenges, and opportunities in the field of talent research and talent development. In doing so, it seeks to make scientific findings and practice-oriented approaches accessible to a broad professional community from academia and practice, and to further strengthen the dialogue between research and teaching.

With the 2028 issue, we invite authors from educational sciences, subject didactics, psychology, and pedagogical practice to submit contributions on the focus topic „Talent Research and Talent Development: Perspectives and Impulses for Research, Teaching, and Professionalization“.

We welcome empirical studies, theoretical analyses, conceptual contributions, and practice-oriented presentations that open up new perspectives on talent development and the fostering of talent. All contributions should clearly demonstrate how their findings contribute to a deeper understanding of gifts and talent development or to the further development of talent support in school and extracurricular contexts, as well as outline existing limitations or open questions.

The open call for this issue is addressed to authors writing in German and English. Contributions from early-career researchers are explicitly welcome.

The open call invites submissions until November 30, 2026, focusing particularly on the following thematic fields:  

Talent Development in Different Domains

Talents unfold in diverse areas – ranging from language, mathematics, and natural sciences, to music, art, and sports, through to social, creative, and digital domains. How do talent development processes unfold in these areas, and which individual, social, and institutional factors influence them? Contributions may adopt domain-specific or cross-domain perspectives and combine empirical as well as theoretical approaches.

Pathways of School-Based and Extracurricular Gifted Education and Talent Support
Schools, universities, and extracurricular institutions face the task of providing appropriate support for learners with diverse talent profiles. Which support concepts, models, and programs have proven effective? How can internal differentiation, enrichment, acceleration, or ability grouping be implemented effectively? What challenges arise with regard to diagnostics, resources, inclusion, and educational equity? Contributions may present best-practice examples, evaluation studies, or conceptual approaches.

Perspectives on Talent Research as well as Gifted Education and Talent Support
Talent research is shaped by diverse theoretical models – ranging from classical intelligence theories and multidimensional talent models to systemic, development-oriented approaches. Which theoretical approaches are currently particularly relevant, and how can they be utilized in research and practice? We welcome contributions that introduce new theoretical models, critically reflect upon or further develop existing models, or place them in relation to current societal challenges.  

Gifted Education and Talent Support in the Initial, In-Service, and Continuing Education of Teachers

High-quality gifted education and talent support requires professionally trained teachers who possess, in particular, corresponding diagnostic, didactical, and communicative competences. How is gifted education and talent support anchored in teacher education in Austria and other countries? What professionalization models, curricula, or further education concepts exist, and how effective are they? Contributions with an internationally comparative perspective are particularly welcome.

Please send your submission based on the document template (click here) to karl1.grass@phst.at by 30/11/2026.

Following this, the editorial and review team will make a decision regarding the acceptance or rejection of the abstracts. Please note that even after an abstract is accepted, the full contribution may still be subject to rejection during the subsequent peer review process.

Timeline

  • November 30, 2026: Deadline for abstract submission
  • December 23, 2026: Invitation for full paper submission
  • March 31, 2027: Full paper submission, dispatch to reviewers
  • June 15, 2027: Feedback from the 1st review phase
  • September 15, 2027: Submission of revised papers (1st revision phase), dispatch to reviewers
  • December 15, 2027: End of the 2nd review phase, final decision
  • February 28, 2028: Final paper submission (2nd revision phase, final version)
  • 3rd Quarter 2028: Publication of the special issue

 

Editors

Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Roland Grabner (roland.grabner@uni-graz.at)

HS-Prof. Mag. Dr. Karl-Heinz Graß (karl1.grass@phst.at)

HS-Prof.in Mag.a Dr.in Katharina Heissenberger-Lehofer, BEd.  (katharina.heissenberger-lehofer@phst.at)

Dr.in Michaela Meier, BSc MSc. (michaela.meier@uni-graz.at)