On Friday, 17 April 2026, Prof. Dr Martin Pohl of OTH Regensburg received the ‘Award for Excellence in Teaching’ from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts. With this award, the Ministry recognises his decades of exceptional commitment to innovative, student-centred university teaching in the field of mathematics.
During a ceremony on Teaching Day at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Bavaria’s Minister for Science, Markus Blume, presented the award to 20 outstanding university lecturers from across Bavaria. Markus Blume emphasised: “Good teaching is the heartbeat of science. Where teaching is delivered with commitment and passion, curiosity, courage and vision flourish. Excellent teaching is the foundation for excellent research – one cannot thrive without the other. Science thrives on compelling communication. Congratulations to all our award winners – they are heroes of teaching and make a difference in the lecture theatre. With genuine dedication and impressive creativity, they achieve outstanding results: they convey their own enthusiasm and shape personalities.”
With the ‘Award for Good Teaching’, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts honours outstanding teaching figures at state universities every year. The award is endowed with 5,000 euros and recognises exceptional commitment, innovative teaching concepts and lasting contributions to the further development of university teaching.
A university lecturer who is constantly developing himself and his methods
Prof. Dr Martin Pohl has been shaping mathematics teaching at OTH Regensburg for more than three decades. At the heart of his teaching philosophy is a consistent focus on the students: through engaging teaching methods such as just-in-time teaching and peer instruction, he actively involves his students in the learning process and promotes not only subject-specific skills but also important key competencies such as self-directed learning and strong communication skills.
“It is particularly important to me to support students at the start of their degree. A mathematics degree is demanding, but those who develop the right learning strategies early on will benefit from this in the long term,” says Pohl.
“I am delighted that Prof. Dr Martin Pohl’s long-standing commitment to innovative and student-centred teaching is being recognised with this award,” emphasises Prof. Dr Birgit Rösel, Vice-President for Studies and Teaching at OTH Regensburg. “He continuously refines his courses, scientifically evaluates new methods and shares his findings far beyond the university. In doing so, he sets standards for good teaching.”
Prof. Pohl places particular emphasis on the early stages of a student’s degree programme. With the ‘Learning to Learn Mathematics’ module he initiated, he provides targeted support to students during the transition from school to university, a phase that is often associated with major challenges, particularly in mathematics. In addition, he developed his own workbook, which helps students get to grips with mathematical methods and incorporates new didactic approaches.
SCALE-UP room with a modern teaching and learning concept
Prof. Pohl is also driving the design of modern learning environments: on his initiative, a so-called SCALE-UP room was set up at OTH Regensburg, which has been used as an innovative teaching and learning space since the end of 2024. Here, students work collaboratively in small groups on tasks and develop solution strategies together – supported by digital technology and flexible room concepts.
Beyond his own teaching, Prof. Pohl is deeply committed to the further development of higher education pedagogy. He shares his experiences in workshops and lectures, contributes to university-wide initiatives such as the Teaching and Learning Mission Statement, and brings his expertise to professional networks. He systematically examines and evaluates his teaching innovations in line with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and makes the results accessible to a broad professional audience.
The high quality of his teaching is also reflected in student feedback. Students particularly appreciate the interactive nature of his courses, the intensive support provided, and the consistent focus on individual learning success.
Background: The ‘Award for Good Teaching’
With the “Award for Good Teaching”, the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts honours the work of lecturers at state universities in Bavaria. The award winners are nominated by their universities, with students also involved in the selection process. A prerequisite is that the recipients have demonstrated outstanding teaching performance over several years and have impressed with innovative approaches.
