Contact
PH Zurich
Lagerstrasse 2
8090 Zurich
About
Urs Oberthaler trained as a primary and secondary school teacher, completed a degree in psychology and obtained a Master's degree in Educational Sciences with a specialisation in continuing education/adult education at the University of Basel. He wrote his dissertation on the topic of “Professional learning in practice: insights into the Lesson Study’s contribution to teacher education”. For 17 years, he gained teaching experience at various schools in Switzerland and abroad, including in a school for socially disadvantaged young people. He also worked for many years in management positions in educational organisations, including over ten years at the FHNW University of Teacher Education. Since May 2025, he has headed the Department of Continuing Education and Counselling at the Zurich University of Teacher Education.
His professional focus is on the design of further education concepts for the professions in schools, especially with regard to transformative, situated learning processes and methods of cooperative teaching and school development such as Lesson Study.
Publications
Clivaz, S., Clerc-Georgy, A., Oberthaler, U. and Frank Schmid, S. (2024)Lesson study in Switzerland: from research to dissemination and back, International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies. Ahead-of-print.
Oberthaler, U. (2024)Mit Lesson Study zur professionellen Lerngemeinschaft – Erfolgsfaktoren und Herausforderungen. Erziehung & Unterricht 174(3–4), 334–341.
Oberthaler, U., & Tulowitzki, P. (2021)Das Lernen ins Zentrum stellen. Lesson Study als Motor für Schul- und Unterrichtsentwicklung. Journal für Schulentwicklung 25(2), 27–35.
Oberthaler, U., & Beywl, W. (2019)Gewinn für Lehrende und Lernende. Lesson Study – ein Ansatz für die Weiterbildung. Weiterbildung 29(3), 10–13.
Oberthaler, U. (2026)Handbuch Professionalisierung pädagogischer Praxis. Lesson Study – Formate der Professionalisierung in Hochschule und Weiterbildung (Kapitel 4).
Oberthaler, U. (2025)Wissenschaft, schulische Bildung und ihr Verhältnis zueinander. In: Leutwyler, B., Gaspoz, D. G., Kohlstock, B., Rhyn, H., & Tremp, P. (Hrsg.): Zwei Jahrzehnte hochschulische Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung. Hep-Verlag, 317–319.
Gubler, B., Oberthaler, U., & Vanotti, M. (2015)Die Passepartout-Weiterbildung – ein Meilenstein. In: M. Weil & M. Vanotti (eds.), Weiterbildung und Mehrsprachigkeit. Formation continue et plurilinguisme. Further education and plurilingualism, 22–45.
Oberthaler, U. (2022)Lesson Study. Kooperieren, um zu lernen. Das Heft 2022(7), 16–17.
Oberthaler, U. (2020)Lesson Study. Im Team Unterricht planen und darüber nachdenken. Schulblatt Aargau/Solothurn 2020(17), 12–13.
Further information