During the DIGITAL FIRST project’s first phase focusing on the analysis of existing context in informatics education at schools, project partners Vilnius University (VU, Lithuania) and the University of Coruña (UDC, Spain) are working together for a comparative study on teaching and learning of informatics in 10 EU countries. This study aims to understand: What and how do we learn/teach informatics, and are we satisfied with it? In addition, the research will allow us to understand how we can create innovative practices meeting the demands of “digital children” born in the “digital world”.

For this comparative study, VU and UDC developed a research methodology, created an online survey that was translated and circulated by other project partners in their national languages and also coordinated the partners for the organisation of focus groups in their countries.

The survey that was disseminated to teachers in 10 EU countries during May 2024 aimed to collect data on Informatics curricula, teaching content, and the profile of computer science/ informatics teachers. Participated by 1022 teachers, this survey will enable researchers to reveal how teachers teach informatics, what teaching methods and strategies they use in the teaching and learning process, as well as to identify the competences, attitudes and beliefs of educators regarding teaching and learning informatics.

The quantitative research data will be supplemented by the authentic experiences of the participants in the focus group discussions about the teaching and learning of informatics, as well as the insights of different research participants (students, educators, parents, representatives of businesses and other institutions) about how to change and improve the practice of teaching and learning informatics.

The first results of the study will be delivered at the project meeting on September 24-25, 2024, at Vilnius University in Lithuania.