Professional Practice Knowledge Research Articles

A Critical Analysis of Problems of Higher Education In Pakistan: An Analysis of Possible Solutions

It is the basic criteria to address the importance of skill development & training in higher education, partly due to the increased focus on outcome assessment in academic programs for undergraduate programs at university of Sindh as data analyzed for 2021,2022 and 2023. Final Assessments When creating curriculum and evaluating their effectiveness promotes the focus of "ideal" or better values and skills of the higher education graduates. To put it over simplicity, the knowledge and skills that students are often expected to possess upon finishing their education are the main emphasis of outcome assessment. Any nation's political, social, and economic progress is based on its higher educational system. The country can accomplish its objectives when it has a functioning educational system. Being a developing nation, Pakistan has struggled with education from its founding, which has prevented the educational system from meeting the needs of the people. This scenario can be attributed to multiple sources. This research examines a few of the major issues that Pakistan's educational system has been beset with thus far. Based on a critical analysis of existing literature, the study offers answers to the current issues facing Pakistan's education system. The higher education graduates have traditionally been characterized as a terminal degree for professionals in the public and nonprofit sectors, with an emphasis on the professional values, practical knowledge, and skills requirement to thrive in public and nonprofit organizations and address the needs and interests of democratic societies.

Developing palliative care skills in undergraduate allied health students using an interprofessional simulation-based learning experience

Introduction: There is a growing need to prepare the health workforce to work collaboratively to meet the needs of people affected by life-limiting illness. Despite the call from industry for the inclusion of palliative care in undergraduate curriculum, there are few established methods to deliver this education for interprofessional student cohorts. Where clinical experience options are limited, the simulation-based learning experience (SBLE) offers a valuable experiential learning opportunity in the preparation of students to care for dying patients and their families. This research aims to examine the impact of SBLE on the level of allied health students' confidence in delivering palliative care. Methods: A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test design was used with 11-point rating scales to measure the change in levels of self-reported confidence in knowledge, providing care, preparedness, management and assessment of need, and professional and ethical practice among allied health students who participated in either a face-to-face or an online palliative care SBLE. Results: A total of 130 students participated in the SBLE in 2019 and 2020. A paired-sample t-test showed improvement post simulation, with mean differences ranging from 2.87 [95% CI 2.45–3.29] for knowledge to 3.2 [95% CI 2.79–3.60] for confidence. All categories were statistically significant (p < .05). Analysis of opened-ended questions indicated that after the simulation, students recognised the importance of a holistic focus and patient-centred care model. Conclusions: The SBLE improved levels of student perceived confidence for the delivery of palliative care. Educators are encouraged to use SBLE to support the development of graduate capabilities in palliative care in allied health students.

L1 Education in Times of Globalization, Digitalization and Super-Diversity

This introduction first briefly sketches the (history of the) International Mother Tongue Education Network (IMEN). IMEN was founded in 1981 as an information and research network that over the years initiated an empirical-interpretive research program focusing on comparative analyses of the rhetoric and practices of L1 education across a dozen of European countries. Main elements of IMEN’s methodology that will be discussed below were the development of different types of research collaboration, a theoretical framework for comparative analysis, and a method for international triangulation. It then describes how, at the turn of the century, IMEN’s way of doing slow science became increasingly threatened by the requirements of publish or perish mainstream research, and how its research program was confronted with the challenges posed to L1 education by processes of globalization, digitalization, and super-diversity, becoming manifest in the superdiverse nature of student bodies, their sociolinguistic and ethnocultural doings, and the increasingly digitalized modes of teaching and learning they are exposed to. All these elements, in one way or another, also have an impact on the teaching-learning practices in mainstream L1 education and consequently must be addressed by IMEN-like studies. Finally this contribution briefly introduces the contributions to this special issue and suggests that they are a strong argument for a renewed interest in international comparative discussion on and around L1 education and a plea to further collaborative research from an empirical interpretive ethnographic perspective on teachers’ professional practical knowledge and classroom practices that can guide our understanding of the ubiquitous school subject L1 education that aims at preparing students for a global, digital, and super-diverse society.

Old Problems, New Challenges

Although comparative studies on L1 education are facing many new challenges today, two ‘old’ issues should not be forgotten: the professional qualification of teachers as part of their academic training, and elementary language education in primary schools. These issues need a theoretical foundation to make L1 education part of the professional practical knowledge of teachers. In Germany, there is a gap between the subject-related qualification of prospective teachers on the one hand, and their didactic qualification for their professional field of action in schools on the other. What is perceived today as L1 German teaching from school year 1 to 12/13 goes back to two different traditions for which, until a few decades ago, educational institutions of varying prestige were responsible: the Volksschulen (elementary education for the lower classes) initially focusing on "mother-tongue" monolingualism, and the Latin schools (grammar schools for the higher classes) focusing on multilingual education, preparing for academic careers. It was not until the Weimar Constitution in 1919 that Germany also introduced academic qualifications for teachers in elementary education. However, also seminars, pedagogical academies, and colleges that focused on teaching didactics mainly, were established to circumvent university qualifications. What was developed in the last third of the 20th century in the context of a scientific foundation for the didactics of L1 German has since fallen into oblivion. This contribution aims at presenting a critically reflected continuation of these developments.

Enhancing academic performance and student engagement in health education: insights from Work Station Learning Activities (WSLA)

Making health science students aware of the importance of basic science knowledge for professional practice is a major educational challenge, especially during the early years of preclinical courses. Here, using an integrated curricular approach, we analyze whether Work Station Learning Activities (WSLA), which combine active learning methodologies for teaching basic science in clinical scenarios, can help to develop deeper learning and student engagement. In order to increase student motivation, we evaluated the effectiveness of WSLA using statistical analyses and an observation tool based on the ICAP (Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive) framework, which categorizes learning tasks based on the nature of student engagement. Statistical analyses revealed positive correlations between the different summative evaluations along the development of the activities, indicating the learning process inherent to WSLA progression and affirming the positive influence of WSLA on academic outcomes. Comparing the pre- and post-tests, students scored significantly higher on the post-test (statistically significant p < 0.001). WSLA promotes both constructivist and interactive learning, as validated by its alignment with the ICAP model. The study examines student engagement through systematic observation, revealing a relationship between student engagement and final grades. Students who exhibit constructive learning consistently earn higher grades, emphasizing the positive impact of active engagement. Thus, passive behavior profiles show a significant proportion of fails (40%), while constructive profiles stand out as the sole recipients of the coveted excellent rating. Ultimately, this study contributes to our understanding of the effectiveness of WSLA in promoting active learning and enhancing student engagement within integrated health education curricula. It highlights the importance of active learning behaviors for academic success and suggests avenues for further research to optimize integrated teaching methodologies in medical education.

Pharmacovigilance teaching and learning: a mixed cross-sectional analysis of the Portuguese public higher education system

Pharmacovigilance stands out for its importance in obtaining existing knowledge about medicine and patient safety and should be recognized as a continuous line of study. It constitutes a highly relevant component in the activities of health professionals, with spontaneous notification of suspected adverse drug reactions being its main emphasis. The underreporting that persists can be overcome through continuous professional development programs, reinforcing theoretical and practical knowledge in the curricular plans of health courses. As a result, more educated professionals will also allow citizens to recognize the importance of pharmacovigilance. The main objective of this study was to describe and characterize the teaching-learning process of pharmacovigilance in Portugal, analyzing the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of students and health professionals. In total, ninety-three curricular unit forms of the seventeen healthcare courses included were analyzed, among which only three referred to pharmacovigilance as mandatory and thirty-nine did not address any keywords. The questionnaire applied was answered by 650 participants, both students (62%) and professionals (38%). Approximately 84.4% of the students and 54.7% of the professionals affirmed that they had never spontaneously reported an adverse drug reaction. Only 24.6% of the students and 17.8% of professionals referred to the existence of specific course content dedicated to pharmacovigilance in their coursework. In view of these results, it is evident that there is a need for a wider reflection regarding the further training and constant update of practicing professionals as well as in diverse health institutions, investing in the creation of an academic curriculum that integrates pharmacovigilance in healthcare courses.

Pan American climate resilient health systems: a training course for health professionals.

To describe the development, implementation, and results of a training course designed to equip health professionals from the Pan American Health Organization region with the knowledge and tools needed to adapt health systems to current climate realities. The Pan American climate resilient health systems course was a 9-week live-virtual course in March-April 2023, which was delivered through Zoom and offered in English, Spanish, and French. All lectures were delivered by local and regional climate and health experts. The curricular foundation of this initiative was the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education core competencies for health professionals. Participants completed pre- and post-course surveys. A total of 1212 participants attended at least one of the nine sessions and 489 (from 66 countries) attended at least six sessions. Of these, 291 participants completed both the pre- and post-course surveys which were used in the analysis. Longitudinal survey results suggested an improvement in participants' climate and health communication, an increased frequency of incorporating climate knowledge in professional practice, and improved confidence in engaging in climate initiatives. At the same time, many participants expressed a need for additional training. The results indicate that live-virtual courses have the potential to empower health professionals to contribute to climate resilience efforts by: increasing their communication skills; changing their professional practice; increasing their ability to lead climate and health activities; and preparing them to assess vulnerability and adaptation in health systems, measure and monitor environmental sustainability, and apply a health equity lens.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards fetal alcohol spectrum disorder among lawyers in New Zealand

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a developmental disability that can cause difficulties with communication, emotional regulation and executive function, making people with FASD vulnerable to adverse involvement within the criminal justice system. Justice professionals’ knowledge and attitudes of FASD is critical to identifying appropriate responses, management and sentencing in the justice system. This research aims to understand the FASD knowledge, attitudes and practices among lawyers working in the justice sector in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We conducted an online survey on the awareness, knowledge and beliefs of FASD, experience and professional practice with FASD of justice professionals working in the justice sector in New Zealand. Of the 56 participants, most were lawyers. All participants were aware of FASD but had gaps in their knowledge and few felt well prepared to support someone with FASD. There is a need to develop policies, training and support for lawyers, around FASD.

PROBLEMS OF STUDYING CHOREOGRAPHIC DISCIPLINES IN THE CONDITIONS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

The article analyzes the process of distance learning of graduates of the Department of Choreography of Kharkiv National Pedagogical University named after H.S. Frying pans Factors affecting the formation of professional abilities of students with traditional and distance forms of education are considered. Introduction of distant education in Ukraine has been stipulated by objective demands of modern Society. Cause-and-effect relationships between teaching methods and the formation of pedagogical competences of choreographers-apprentices have been established. On the basis of the studied facts, conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made regarding the improvement of the quality of the educational process of students of choreographic specialties during distance learning. Having considered the positive and negative aspects of distance education of students of the Department of Choreography of the Kharkіv National University, it should be noted that this form of education is effective, but only in a mixed format together with traditional education, along with the acquisition of professional practical knowledge, skills and abilities. There must be specially equipped rooms, but, unfortunately, most of the students do not have any. Moreover, there is a lack of motivation, self-discipline, and a lack of system as for gained knowledge. It is proved that the effectiveness of the distance format of professional training of future teachers of choreography during martial law depends on the level of studentsʼ motivation for learning and their self-organization. Self-organization ensures the studentʼs ability to plan and carry out their own learning activities in accordance with the priorities of professional training. It is motivation that is the driving force behind the studentʼs acquisition of the necessary professional knowledge and professional skills.&#x0D; It should be noted that this work does not cover all the issues related to the study of choreographic disciplines in the conditions of distance learning. This study requires further study and determination of the impact of distance education on the formation of competencies of students of choreographic specialties.

The social relations of prayer in healthcare: Adding to nursing's equity-oriented professional practice and disciplinary knowledge.

Although spiritual practices such as prayer are engaged by many to support well-being and coping, little research has addressed nurses and prayer, whether for themselves or facilitating patients' use of prayer. We conducted a qualitative study to explore how prayer (as a proxy for spirituality and religion) is manifest-whether embraced, tolerated, or resisted-in healthcare, and how institutional and social contexts shape how prayer is understood and enacted. This paper analyzes interviews with 21 nurses in Vancouver and London as a subset of the larger study. Findings show that nurses' kindness can buffer the loneliness and exclusion of ill health and in this way support the "spirit" of those in their care. Spiritual support for patients rarely incorporated prayer, in part because of ambiguities about permission and professional boundaries. Nurses' engagement with prayer and spiritual support could become a politicized site of religious accommodation, where imposition, religious illiteracy, and racism could derail person-centered care and consequently enact social exclusion. Spiritual support (including prayer) sustained nurses themselves. We propose that nursing's equity-oriented knowledge encompass spirituality and religion as sites of exclusion and inclusion. Nurses must be supported to move past religious illiteracy to provide culturallyand spiritually sensitive care with clarity about professional boundaries and collaborative models of spiritual care.

A social realist challenge to the structuring of professional practice knowledge for initial teacher education in England

ABSTRACT Professional practice knowledge for beginning teachers involves grappling with the extent to which ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ should be evident. This thesis contributes an analysis of the particular way that the theory/practice relationship has been structured within the Teachers’ Standards and the impact that this form has had on professional agency. The prioritisation of the observable is contrasted with manifestations that recognise that within a moment of practice, invisible yet durable knowledge structuring mechanisms are also present. In order to accord these mechanisms due agency, the concept of diffraction (the physical phenomenon of wave interference), (Barad 2007) was drawn upon to enrich Bernstein’s (2000) social realist analysis of discourse. The data was gathered from a School Centered Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) provider in the West Midlands. The findings suggest that when context-transcending forms of knowledge specialise observable practices relationally, there is increased potential for coherent professional knowledges to result. Structuring professional practice knowledge in this way, contrasts with forms of knowledge particularisation evident within the Teachers’ Standards. Therefore a challenge is offered to existing forms of professional practice knowledge structuring by drawing on quantum (entangling materials and minds) rather than Cartesian (separation of mind and matter) conceptions of time and space.

Validation of an instrument to evaluate the satisfaction of the professional practice in pertaining students to the program of Nutrition and Dietary

Introduction. Professional practice is a relevant process for the personal and academic development of students. It uses learning contexts located in real scenarios and enables the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for professional practice. Objective. To design and validate an instrument designed to evaluate students' satisfaction with theirprofessional practice process. Materials and methods. Mixed-method study, non-probabilistic sample by convenience of 196 participants. The sample is formed by 20 Nutritionists and 176 students belonging to the Nutrition and Dietetics undergraduate program. The statistical software SPSS version 22 was used to analyze reliability by Cronbach's alpha and the Delphi method for content validity. An instrument with 32 items grouped in 4 dimensions was elaborated and applied to 116 students to analyze reliability. The instrument was adjusted to 25 items, and content validity was analyzed by a panel of experts. The judge’sconsensus was the foundation for developing a 29-item version grouped into 4 dimensions. This version was applied to 60 students to obtainCronbach's alpha validation. Results. The instrument presents an excellent level of reliability, with a Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.927. Conclusions. The instrument designed to measure satisfaction with professional practices is a reliable and valid measure, since it allows knowing the students ‘evaluation at the end of their professional practice process.

The networked student

In a university Master's program, for educational professionals seeking professional development, a networked learning intervention was conducted to facilitate students' construction of learning relations for their academic development. Answers were sought to the question on how adult distance university students experience informal learning networks with peers as part of their academic socialization processes. The development of learning networks in two cohorts of students was analyzed using Social Network Analyses (SNA) at three moments during the course. Based on SNA results, 16 students were interviewed on their experiences with these learning networks. Results show that students used their learning networks for knowledge construction, for academic socialization and to mitigate feelings of social and cognitive inadequacy. Results suggest that there is a relation between the ability to engage in learning relationships, and academic socialization processes and the utilization of new knowledge in students own professional practice.

Training future educators to develop ecological knowledge of preschool and school children

In the article, the basic principles of training future educators and teachers in the field of environmental education are discussed. Such a process requires mastering a set of innovative pedagogical knowledge on ecology to be aware of them in the future and integrate such knowledge into the profession of a teacher. This determined the relevance of the topic of this study. The article aims to determine the results of the effectiveness of the introduction of disciplines that increase the level of environmental knowledge and introduce innovative pedagogical methods in this area. It is equally important to determine the assessment of the usefulness of introducing new disciplines on methods of teaching environmental knowledge among students (attitude to innovations, anxious use of innovations, external barriers to the integration of innovations into pedagogical practice, readiness to use innovative pedagogical knowledge). A comprehensive approach to methodology was used in the study. The main method in the work is the method of pedagogical experiment. Moreover, descriptive, statistical, and theoretical methods are also applied. The methods of questionnaires and observation were employed to diagnose the effectiveness of innovative research, according to preschool teachers. The main hypothesis is the assumption that innovative environmental knowledge courses and self-education activities contribute to the competence and quality of teacher training significantly and provide for their integration into the work of school and preschool education. The result of this study is evidence that teacher training programs and new pedagogical methods related to innovations in ecological education affect the ability to operate with new methods and modern knowledge in future professional practice. A further prospect is the development and implementation of effective methods for introducing innovative pedagogical knowledge into the training of teachers in the field of preschool and school education.

OSS in Software Engineering Education

Software Engineering is a crucial topic in undergraduate computing-related courses and provides the basic knowledge and skills necessary for professional practice in the software industry. Teaching Software Engineering principles, concepts, and practices and relating them to real-world scenarios are challenging tasks, and the adoption of Open Source Software (OSS) projects can help to face these challenges. On the other hand, adopting OSS projects as a didactic resource may introduce additional challenges to instructors who are not familiar with the OSS ecosystem. Objective: In this paper, we identified and mapped the profiles of instructors of Software Engineering courses concerning their classroom practices and use of OSS projects in Software Engineering Education. Method: We surveyed 90 higher education instructors in Brazil to collect data regarding their familiarity with the Software Engineering knowledge areas, pedagogical methods and resources used, and familiarity with and use of OSS projects in the classroom. Then, we resorted to data mining techniques, for instance, K-modes and Decision Tree algorithms, to identify instructors’ characteristics according to their classroom practices and use of OSS projects in the course activities. Results: Our findings include the characterization of instructors who use and instructors that do not use OSS projects in Software Engineering Education and the grouping of instructors after the application of the K-modes algorithm, and after the application of the Decision Tree algorithm, with similar characteristics of the pedagogical practices. The main result of this work is that the familiarity with OSS projects and the use of active learning methods were characteristics present in the application of the K-modes and Decision Tree algorithms, that distinguished instructors who used OSS projects from those that did not use them in Software Engineering Education. Finally, we confirmed that familiarity with OSS projects could have a positive influence on the instructors’ interest and potential for adopting this approach in Software Engineering Education.

Professional Development Leadership in Public Organizations: A Refined Conceptualization

Professional development leadership (PDL) can potentially align organizational goals and professional norms, thereby increasing the performance of professional employees in public organizations. Public management research has largely overlooked this type of leadership behavior, however, which may be due to the fact that it remains conceptually under-developed. This article presents a refined conceptualization of PDL based on theorizing and the abductive analysis of 31 interviews with managers and professionals in public organizations. The ambition of PDL is to facilitate a shared understanding of professional quality within the scope of organizational goals and to influence others to realize this understanding in practice. Core behaviors are attempts to create alignment between organizational goals and professional norms, to develop professional knowledge, and to activate professional knowledge and norms in practice. The conceptualization comprises a steppingstone for systematic research on PDL, and public managers may find inspiration as to how they can address professional norms and knowledge in their leadership practice.

Bridging the Gap between Clinical Service and Academic Education of Hand-Splinting Practice: Perspectives and Experiences of Thai Occupational Therapists.

A gap in knowledge about current splinting practice exists between the educational program and clinical service. To bridge this gap, we investigated the perspectives and experiences of Thai occupational therapists regarding contemporary hand splinting practices in clinical use. A mixed-method study was designed. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. In the first quantitative phase, a survey questionnaire was mailed to occupational therapists. The questions were regarding contemporary hand splinting practices in clinical use at seven hospitals in the capital city of Bangkok and outskirt areas. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews were completed to explore expert occupational therapists’ perspectives on practice in the same hospital settings. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that most conditions receiving splints were nerve injuries, orthopedics, and stroke, which represented the service frequency of splint types: functional resting (100%), cock-up (93.3%), and thumb spica splints (80%). Bone and joint deformity prevention ranked first with muscle contracture prevention being ranked second, and the third-ranked was maintaining range of motion. Three themes emerged from the interviews: starting with the patient condition; effective function and value; knowledge and experiential skills. Perspectives and experiences of occupational therapists in splinting practice contribute to education based on the reality of practice. Integrated numerical and textual data of professional skills and knowledge in actual splinting practice can be reflected through splints and orthoses program revisions to meet future learning outcomes.

Family quality of life and autism spectrum disorder: Comparative diagnosis of needs and impact on family life

BackgroundFamilies of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face ongoing challenges that can affect their family life. Helping those families cope with the impact of ASD and promote more positive family and child outcomes requires research to better understand the differential aspects of quality of life for those families. AimThis article examined the quality of life of 77 families (n = 45 families with children with ASD aged 0–12 years old, and n = 32 families with other developmental disabilities). Methods and procedureThe Family Quality of Life Scale (FQOL) was applied. Outcomes and resultsThe relationships between importance and satisfaction were analyzed, contrasting differences between families, and studying the influence of age. Results show the presence of common needs, as the higher ratings in importance versus satisfaction evidenced, but also specific and more evident needs in families of children with ASD, motivated by the differential characteristics of the disorder and their environment. Age was relevant to focus support on priority areas. ConclusionThe need to adapt to family individualities to promote their quality of life was concluded. ImplicationsThose findings reinforce the importance of bringing together theoretical knowledge and evaluation of professional practice as a framework for converting the latter into good practices and quality actions.

Linguistically Responsive Leaders: Working With Multilingual Students and Their Families

The demographic composition of the United States (US) has transformed since the early 1990s with immigrant arrivals from Mexico and Central America. Education leaders frequently exit preparation programs without content focused on opportunities around working successfully with multilingual students. This qualitative case study explores the implementation of online learning modules focused on engaging multilingual students and their families that were embedded into advanced leadership preparation coursework. Utilizing data (e.g., classwork, fieldnotes, semi-structured interviews) collected from 10 participants, findings include recommendations for stronger preparation on multilingual learners and flexible learning experiences that encourage the application of knowledge in professional practice.

Design for learning – involving teachers in digital didactic design (D3)

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how primary teachers, when taking part in digital didactic design (D3) workshops at the Digital Laboratory Centre at the university, develop their insights about how digital tools can be designed and further used in their teaching of science. The research question addresses how D3 can be used to develop primary teachers’ knowledge about teaching science with digital technologies.Design/methodology/approachDuring two semesters, 14 primary science teachers from three different schools participated in an in-service course at the university. Five D3 workshops lasting 4 h each were conducted with the aim to analyze, design and implement digital tools based on the needs of teachers and students. This includes discussions about the technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework and further recommendations about how to choose, design, implement and evaluate digital tools for different teaching and learning situations. In between the workshops, the teachers were told to reflect on their experiences with colleagues and students and share their ideas and reflections to support collegial learning.FindingsThe results indicate that D3 has an opportunity to promote deep learning experiences with a framework that encourages teachers and researchers to study, explore and analyze the applied designs-in-practice, where teachers take part in the design process. This study further indicates that having teachers explicitly articulates their reasoning about designing digital applications to engage students’ learning that seems important for exploring the types of knowledge used in these design practices and reflecting on aspects of their teaching with digital technologies likely to influence their TPACK.Research limitations/implicationsThis research indicates that the increasing prevalence of information communication technology offers challenges and opportunities to the teaching and learning of science and to the scientific practice teachers might encounter. It offers solutions by investigating how primary teachers can design their own digital technology to meet students’ science learning needs. One limitation might be that the group of 14 teachers cannot be generalized to represent all teachers. However, this study gives implications for how to work with and for teachers to develop their knowledge of digital technologies in teaching.Practical implicationsAs this project shows teachers can take an active part in the digital school development and as such become producer of knowledge and ideas and not only become consumers in the jungle of technical applications that are implemented on a school level. Therefore, it might well be argued that in science teaching, paying more careful attention to how teachers and researchers work together in collaborative settings, offers one way of better valuing science teachers’ professional knowledge of practice. As such, an implication is that digital applications are not made “for” teachers but instead “with” and “by” teachers.Social implicationsThe society puts high demands om teachers’ knowledge and competencies to integrate digital technologies into their daily practices. Building on teachers’ own needs and concerns, this project addresses the challenge for teachers as a community to be better prepared for and meet the societal challenge that digitalization means for schools.Originality/valueAcross the field of science education, knowledge about the relation between teachers’ use of digital technology and how it might (or might not) promote students’ learning offers access to ideas of how to design and implement teacher professional development programs. This offers enhanced communication opportunities between schools and universities regarding school facilities and expectations of technology to improve teachers’ experiences with integrating technology into their learning and teaching. This pragmatic approach to research creates theory and interventions that serve school practice but also produces challenges for design-based researchers.