Digital First’s partners have published a new report called Informatics teacher education and training in the EU today. The research provides a comprehensive overview of how informatics teachers are educated and trained across Europe and sets the foundation for future exploration of their competencies, professional development, and needs.
The study draws on collaborative input from ten partner countries, which gathered and analysed national data on teacher education and training systems at various ISCED levels. The goal was to map existing qualification models, identify common challenges, and highlight areas for improvement in the preparation of teachers who teach informatics or related subjects.
The findings reveal a diverse and fragmented picture of informatics teacher education in Europe. Some countries have established structured pathways, offering dedicated degree programmes for informatics teachers, while others rely on additional qualifications or in-service training for teachers from neighbouring disciplines such as mathematics, science, or technology. Teachers in primary schools have broader knowledge across all disciplines, whereas in secondary schools, most countries employ teachers who specialize in teaching informatics. In many countries, teachers are required to have a degree in informatics to teach the subject at the upper secondary level.
A key observation is that informatics is not consistently recognised as a distinct school subject across all ISCED levels. In many cases, it remains integrated within broader ICT or digital skills curricula, which influences how teachers are trained and certified. This diversity also extends to the institutions providing education, the number of ECTS credits assigned to informatics-related content, and the degree of alignment between teacher training and national curricular frameworks.
The report further identifies emerging trends that point toward greater convergence in the field. Across Europe, there is an increasing focus on computational thinking, problem solving, and digital pedagogy as essential competencies for all teachers, not only those specialising in informatics. Teacher education programmes are gradually incorporating these elements, reflecting a growing recognition of informatics as a foundational literacy for the digital era.
A comparative matrix included in the report summarises qualification routes, ECTS ranges, and teacher profiles by country and ISCED level. This overview highlights both the progress made and the remaining gaps in ensuring consistent, high-quality preparation for informatics teachers across Europe.
The results of this research mark the first step toward a deeper understanding of the competencies needed for informatics teachers – a topic that will be further explored in the next phases of the project through interviews and cross-country analysis.
