Conference «How much science does teacher professional development need?» 

Call for Papers 

Advancing digitalization and transformation processes open up a wide range of opportunities for professional development and for redesigning teaching methods and didactics. The fift« conference in the series «How much science does teacher professional development need?» focuses on the professionalization of teachers in a digital and AI-shaped world.

It is hard to imagine our everyday lives without digital devices and technologies - and the presence of artificial intelligence (AI) is also increasingly shaping our lives. Whether it's personalized advertising, individual messages or recommendations in the browser - AI is being used in more and more areas and is changing the everyday lives of many people.
However, these developments also raise questions that remain of central importance: What characterizes effective professional development? What characterizes effective learning and instruction?

Digitalization and AI technologies offer new methodological and didactical approaches for design-ing effective professional development or implementing good and effective teaching practices. The questions are how these (new) digital tools can be used effectively (in terms of learning) and what digitalization-related skills teachers need.
At present, these questions cannot be answered adequately (yet). They require the exchange and joint reflection of different actors from research, professional development, teacher training, politics and practice.

The conference will focus, for example, on the following specific questions (not exhaustive), which can be addressed in various contribution formats (see below):

• What opportunities and challenges do digitalization and AI technologies offer for the professi-onalization of teachers?
• What formats support teachers to take part on continuous professional development about the progress of digitalization and implement effective teaching activities?
• How can schools and teaching benefit from the potential of digitalization and AI, and where are the limits?
• What skills do teachers need to prepare students for a digital and AI-shaped world in a way that offers them equal opportunities?

With its various formats, the conference aims to provide a place to discuss these challenges and opportunities together. We invite colleagues from research, professional development, teacher training or school practice to contribute to the conference. The many different contribution formats do justice to the diversity of the participants and a contribution can be made at any academic age and with diverse practical experience.

Our keynotes, held by Prof. Dr. Katrin Kraus (University of Zurich) and Prof. Dr. Dirk Richter (University of Potsdam), provide input on the professionalization of teachers in a digital and AI-shaped world that will stimulate reflection and discussion.

• Further information

For submission

The conference is aimed at all those involved in research, development, further education, training or everyday school life. 

Organizing team

St. Gallen University of  Teacher Education
Dr. Lena Hollenstein
Dr. Josef Buchner

University of Education Freiburg
Prof. Dr. Lars Holzäpfel

University of Kassel
Prof. Dr. Frank Lipowsky

University of Regensburg
Prof. Dr. Karsten Rincke

Location

The conference will take place in the university buildings of the University of Teacher Education St.Gallen in Rorschach and St.Gallen. 

Registration for the conference

Registration costs

Participation on site: CHF 250.00
Participation hybrid (keynotes): CHF 30.00
Participation in the evening programme (Thursday, 27.11.2025): CHF 100.00

Registration form

Registrations will be accepted from July 2025.

Accommodation

Allotments are available for conference participants in selected hotels at special rates. Bookings can be made directly via the following link:

• St.Gallen Convention