Abstract:

Digitalization-related competencies (DRC) are considered a crucial skill set in the 21st century. However, digitalization in schools is often limited to the technical use of digital media. A major issue is that the mere use of digital devices by teachers or students does not necessarily lead to the systematic development of DRC. Teachers face an additional challenge in implementing DRC as a cross-curricular task, since existing competency frameworks often lack operationalization and clear assignment to school subjects and grade levels. This paper presents the design and development of the seminar DiKofaL (Digitalization-Related Competencies For All Learners), which aims to enable pre-service teachers across all disciplines to systematically integrate DRC into their subject-specific teaching practices. It demonstrates a systematic approach to embedding DRC across all school subjects.

The seminar, implemented as a training and iteratively developed since the summer semester of 2024, is based on the results of a preliminary survey of secondary school teachers and was designed according to the Four-Component Instructional Design Model (4C/ID), an instructional design approach focusing on complex learning. Based on the Digital Pedagogical Content Knowledge (DPACK) Model and the didactic distinction between teaching medium, tool, and subject matter, participants acquire skills for integrating digital aspects as subject matter into their school subjects. A key component is the development of detailed implementation examples as a form of performance assessment during the training. The training evaluation captures three of the four levels of Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model: satisfaction, self-efficacy, knowledge, and transfer motivation as indicators of training success, as well as the quality of the developed implementation examples.

Initial results from 2026 demonstrate the quality of the training at both the reaction and learning levels compared to a control group. Indicators collected for the transfer level also provide evidence of positive training effects. The evaluation results confirm that structured teacher training can promote the acquisition of DRC among students. The training offers a replicable model for the systematic integration of DRC as a subject matter across all school subjects, addressing a critical gap in teacher preparation. In the future, the evaluation instruments will be developed further, and the training will be iteratively improved based on the evaluation results to sustainably foster the acquisition of DRC among students.

Keywords:

Digitalization-related competencies, 4C/ID, Training, DPACK.