Central to this project is the exploration of the skills and knowledge that teachers need to effectively navigate and incorporate digital tools into their teaching, as well as the impact of digitalization, particularly in relation to equity, on continuing education programs for educators.
Research shows that children from households with parents who actively support growing up with media and technologies are less affected by negative consequences and better benefit from the potential of digitalization. Consequently, there is consent among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers about the need to learn about and with media and technologies in schools (Caena & Redecker, 2019; Döbeli Honegger, 2016; Falloon, 2020; Fraillon et al., 2019) to face these challenges. In Switzerland and other German-speaking countries, research has shown that teachers' digital skills vary widely and are not yet fully integrated as a core competency in schools (Prasse et al., 2017; Seufert et al., 2018). This discrepancy highlights a critical need for targeted professional development programs aimed at enhancing these digital competencies among teachers. Addressing this gap is essential for preparing educators to meet the demands of a digitalized educational environment.
The DEEP – Professionalization project also assesses the effectiveness of current teacher training programs in fostering essential digital competencies, including the ability to apply digital concepts, skills, and mindsets in the classroom. The design of these training programs, particularly the online materials, plays a crucial role in influencing cognitive, emotional, and motivational processes, which are key to promoting self-regulation and competency development in teachers (Ahmadi et al., 2023; Schneider et al., 2022).

Based on the IPRODiG model (Irion et al., 2023), which frames professionalization as developing competencies in beliefs, values, goals, self-regulation, and professional knowledge, the project addresses the following research questions:

1. What is the current state of teacher professionalization concerning digitalization in Swiss primary schools?

2. What do primary school teachers need regarding further education topics and formats?

3. How should further training courses be designed to foster professional competencies in digital education at the primary level?

4. How can teacher professionalization be aligned with concepts of equity and sustainability?