Since September 2015
Director of the Centre for Media Education
Head of the Centre for Media Education at the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd.
Thomas Irion
Thomas Irion. Education in motion.
Professor of Primary Education at Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Education and Director of the Centre for Media Education.
Current roles
Since summer semester 2013
Professor of Primary Education
Institute of Educational Science at the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd.
Professional roles
Professorships, university roles and board memberships
Professional roles
Professorships, university roles and board memberships
Since 2020
National board of the Grundschulverband
National board member with responsibilities including digital education in primary schools.
Since 5 October 2017
Senior Fellow, Joachim Herz Stiftung
Participation in the Kolleg Didaktik:digital programme.
2015–2020
Media education adviser
Adviser on media education for the national Grundschulverband.
Since October 2014
Grundschulverband state board, Baden-Württemberg
Co-opted state board member for digital education.
February 2014
Professorial offer from Weingarten
Offer of a W3 professorship in educational science with a focus on primary education at the University of Education Weingarten; declined.
Winter semester 2012/13
Professorship at Leipzig University
Primary subject didactics for Sachunterricht at the Institute of Primary Education.
Winter semester 2011/12–summer semester 2012
Interim professorship in Freiburg
Empirical classroom research with a focus on primary education at the University of Education Freiburg.
Summer semester 2011
Interim professorship in Frankfurt am Main
Educational science with a focus on primary education and Sachunterricht at Goethe University Frankfurt.
Winter semester 2010/11
Interim professorship in Kassel
Primary school development and integrated Sachunterricht at the University of Kassel.
2007–2010
Research centre management
Managing director of the Research Centre for Early Childhood and Primary Education.
2002–2010
Primary Education Centre in Weingarten
Managing director of the Primary Education Centre and academic staff member, subsequently Akademischer Rat, in Heimat- und Sachunterricht at the University of Education Weingarten.
1999–2000
Evaluation research in Tübingen
Research assistant on an evaluation study of gender-specific media projects at the University of Tübingen, led by Prof. Dr. Grunder.
1995–1998
Secondment to the University of Education Freiburg
Work at the Institute of German Literature and Language.
Academic qualifications
Doctorate, Diplom and state examinations
Academic qualifications
Doctorate, Diplom and state examinations
9 January 2008
Doctorate (Dr. rer. soc.)
Doctorate in educational science at the University of Tübingen.
8 October 1997
Diplom in Educational Science
Completion of the Diplom degree in educational science at the University of Tübingen.
18 July 1990
Second State Examination
Teaching qualification for primary and lower secondary schools.
10 November 1988
First State Examination
Primary and lower secondary teacher education at the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, specialising in primary education, German, Heimat- und Sachunterricht and early primary teaching.
International experience
University visits in the United States and Australia
International experience
University visits in the United States and Australia
August–December 2018
Visiting Professor in Michigan
Grand Valley State University, College of Education, Department of Educational Technology.
February–April 2009
Visiting Academic in Australia
Ten-week visit to Flinders University in Adelaide, Edith Cowan University in Perth and Macquarie University in Sydney.
School teaching and other work
Primary schools, teaching appointments and editorial work
School teaching and other work
Primary schools, teaching appointments and editorial work
2001–2002
Teaching appointments in Stuttgart
Teaching appointments in the computer science programme at Berufsakademie Stuttgart.
2001–2002
Educational portal editorial work
Online editor for the Baden-Württemberg state education portal and head of its primary education working group.
2000–2002
Primary school teaching
Work as a primary school teacher.
1989–1995
Primary school teaching
Work as a primary school teacher.
Advisory work, peer review and academic service
Education policy advice
Academic advice to the KMK Schools Committee on its paper “Teaching and Learning in the Digital World” (2021), together with Prof. Dr. Eickelmann, Prof. Dr. Döbeli Honegger and Prof. Dr. Meyser. Participation in the expert discussion on standards for teacher education in educational science (2018).
Advisory work in Baden-Württemberg
Member of the School Digital advisory group at the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Education. Academic member of the advisory group for Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann (2019).
Grundschulverband
Adviser on “Future Learning and Digitality”. Member of the national board for digital education and the Baden-Württemberg state board.
Academic advisory boards and networks
Senior Fellow in the Joachim Herz Stiftung's Kolleg Didaktik:digital programme. Member of the academic advisory board of Forum Bildung Digitalisierung from 2017 to 2019.
Research review
Reviewer for the German Educational Research Association (2023) and BMBF funding calls on digitalisation in education (2018, 2019, 2021). Chair of a BMBF review panel (2019).
Award juries
Jury member for the international eTwinning Quality Label at the KMK's Educational Exchange Service (2019). Reviewer for the European Award of Excellence “Cities for Children” (2011).
Editorial work and peer review
Co-editor of “On – Lernen in der digitalen Welt”. Reviewer for MedienPädagogik, Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, Zeitschrift für Grundschulforschung, Beiträge zur Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung and the World Journal of Chemical Education.
Academic memberships
European Educational Research Association (EERA), German Educational Research Association (DGfE), Gesellschaft für Didaktik des Sachunterrichts (GDSU) and Grundschulverband. Founding member of the GDSU working group on media and digitalisation in Sachunterricht.