The Digital First project explores not only what is taught in digital education, but also who is teaching it. This article examines how future informatics teachers are educated in Slovenia, their pathways to the classroom and the challenges they face in the current system. While Slovenia has developed comprehensive teacher education programmes for informatics, classroom realities often demand flexibility due to qualified teacher shortages. This tension between formal standards and practical needs operates within a curriculum where informatics remains largely elective at primary and lower secondary levels, creating ongoing staffing and continuity challenges.

Formal teacher education pathways

One route: University of Ljubljana

Most informatics teachers in Slovenia are educated at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Education. They pursue a bachelor’s degree in a two-subject teachers education programme, which is most commonly  Computer Science and Mathematics, followed by a one-year master’s programme in Teaching with direction  Subject Teaching Computer Science and Mathematics. The pathway is rigorous, featuring 106 ECTS in informatics content, 42 ECTS in didactics and pedagogy, and 140 hours of teaching practice.

Courses span foundational content like Programming and Algorithms to education-specific modules like Didactics of Computing, ICT-enabled Teaching Materials and electives such as Artificial Intelligence in Education. The structure mirrors international best practices and is aligned with ACM/IEEE curricular recommendations.

Alternative route: University of Maribor

The University of Maribor also offers an integrated 5-year master’s joint degree programme ” Subject Teacher” (including educational informatics) through its Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Non-traditional pathways

It is also possible to complete a Computer Science and Informatics programme at the Faculty of Computer and Information Science (University of Ljubljana), a Computer Science and Information Technologies programme at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (University of Maribor) or a Computer Science programme at the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies (University of Primorska) followed by pedagogical-andragogical training. This route provides subject expertise with pedagogical certification.

Pragmatic responses to teacher shortages

Teaching without formal qualification

While national guidelines recommend that only teachers with formal degrees in Informatics should teach the subject, practical realities often differ. Due to a growing teacher shortage, particularly in STEM, schools frequently assign:

• Teachers with CS knowledge who have completed pedagogical-andragogical training,
• Subject teachers from related STEM disciplines (mathematics, technology, physics) who adapt their skill sets to deliver basic informatics content.

This pragmatic approach helps schools to offer informatics courses despite staffing constraints, but it also raises questions about content quality and consistency, particularly in smaller or rural schools where availability of specialist teachers is scarce.

Integration of content and pedagogy

Formal teacher education programmes in Slovenia do aim for deep integration of content and pedagogy. For example, the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Education’s programme includes:

• Core CS courses (Programming and Algorithms, System Software, Computer Architecture, Data Structures, Networking)
• Pedagogical subjects (Educational Theory, Psychology for Teachers, Pedagogical Methodology)
• Practice-focused didactics (Didactics of Computing with Practice, ICT for Teachers)

At the master’s level, this continues with advanced topics such as Selected Chapters in CS with Didactics and an elective CS subject. This balance equips graduates with not only subject expertise but also the practical skills to teach effectively. However, this is just one representative programme completed by future informatics teachers in Slovenia.

Professional development infrastructure

Supporting institutions

To support teachers already in the field, whether formally trained in informatics or not, Slovenia recognises the importance of ongoing professional development and offers a strong professional development infrastructure:

• Pedagogical faculties (e.g. University of Ljubljana, University of Maribor and University of Primorska) offer continuing education and career development opportunities.
• National Education Institute Slovenia (ZRSŠ) provides teacher training, including annual professional development events like Študijska srečanja (translated as “Study meetings”).
• Annual calls for continuing education programmes (KATIS) ensure systematic access to training.

Digital communities and resources

Online platforms foster peer interaction and resource sharing:

• Online platforms such as SIO community for CS teachers, LUCY and Lokar promote peer interaction and easy access to training and resources.
• Associations like ACM Slovenia and initiatives like Project Napoj enrich the ecosystem by offering events, study materials and networking opportunities.

However, these opportunities are not mandatory, and uptake varies. For teachers not formally trained in informatics, this Continuous Professional Development network can be a lifeline, but it also demands on personal motivation and time, which can be in short supply.

Systemic challenges and future directions

Curriculum Status and Implications

The position of informatics within the Slovenian curriculum remains limited and creates systemic challenges:

• At primary (ISCED 1) and lower secondary schools (ISCED 24), informatics is only an elective subject. It is not offered in all schools and is often dependent on teacher availability.
• At upper secondary schools (ISCED 34), informatics is mandatory in general education programs (gimnazija) for one academic year, while technical and vocational schools have varying informatics provision.

This structure makes long-term staffing planning difficult and limits the development of informatics as a core discipline from early years onward. As one informatics teacher noted during recent project interviews: “We hope we get a mandatory subject soon.”

Declining interest in teaching

A major concern is the decreasing interest in the teaching profession overall, including in informatics. Enrolment in initial teacher education programmes for informatics is shrinking, creating additional pressure on schools and leading to further reliance on non-specialists. This trend threatens to deepen existing inequalities in digital education access and quality, especially as digital competence becomes increasingly essential across all disciplines.

Conclusion: a system in transition

Slovenia’s model for informatics teacher education is aspirationally structured but practically stretched. While the country can point to comprehensive, well-integrated university programmes that produce highly capable teachers, classroom reality often depends on flexibility, cross-subject teaching, and informal routes into the profession.

The current system reflects broader challenges in STEM education: how to maintain quality while addressing practical staffing needs and how to develop informatics education when its curricular status remains uncertain. For now, informatics maintains elective status at primary and lower secondary levels, with limited mandatory provision at upper secondary schools.

Nevertheless, there is capacity for growth and a desire, expressed by many Slovenian stakeholders, to see informatics become a mandatory subject across all school levels. The robust professional development infrastructure and flexible approach to teacher qualification provide a foundation for such expansion, should policy decisions support it.

The path forward requires balancing the ideal of specialised, formally trained teachers with the pragmatic need to serve students now, while building toward a future where informatics education is both universally accessible and consistently high-quality.