Dr. Katja Heim, AOR

Katja Heim was a Akademische Oberrätin at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. She studied to become a teacher, majoring with the subjects English and Chemistry, at the WWU Münster and at the University of Duisburg-Essen where she graduated in 2000. She did her teacher training in secondary schools in Germany and in England but has also taught in primary and adult education. In 2007, she received her PhD in the field of EFL Methodology, the focus being on promoting Learner Autonomy in Primary English Teaching. Learner and Teacher Autonomy are still at the core of her research interests, often in combination with the use of Digital Media in English lessons, Action Research in Teacher Education, Project Based Learning and Inclusive Practices. Katja has co-hosted two local events of the Learner Autonomy Special Interest Group (LASIG) of IATEFL (International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, the first one in 2010 with a focus on Involving Language Learners – Success Stories and Constraints. The second local event, in November 2018, was the first event of an ongoing initiative on Reforming the Foreign Language Classroom – Empowering Students to Take Ownership.