The goal of the project is to contribute to the development of theory regarding the role of teachers in digital and inclusive religious education in elementary schools. Particular attention is paid to changes in the culture of organization, support, and promotion that may arise in the course of digitally inclusive teaching and learning processes.

Elementary school teachers who participate in the research workshop can become part of the research project by testing the digitally inclusive learning environments they have designed themselves in their classrooms.

Theoretical Background

In the school context, “digital media” and “inclusion” are two major themes that are combined under the term “diklusion.” This concept is based on a broad definition of inclusion that takes into account all learners with their individual backgrounds and abilities. In elementary education and special education, there is already a wide range of scholarly articles and practical school-based implementations (Kürzinger / Böttinger / Schulz, 2024; Schulz, 2023; Oetjen et al., 2023; Pannullo / Böttinger / Winkelmann, 2025) as well as interdisciplinary research (Baumert / Rau / Bauermeister, 2023), which are fundamental to understanding the topic.

In the current discourse on religious education, the concept of inclusion is increasingly understood in a broad sense (Witten, 2023). Related reflective-theoretical contributions (Witten, 2021; Schweiker, 2024) as well as qualitative-empirical studies (Grasser, 2021; Theurer-Vogt, 2023; Möller, 2018) can be found.

Similarly, the discourse in religious education surrounding the multifaceted topic of digital literacy offers both fundamental theoretical contributions (Pirner, 2023; Schlag / Nord, 2021) as well as empirical ones (Nord / Petzke / Adam / Luthe, 2024) and contributions that combine both theoretical and empirical findings (Dietzsch / Pfister, 2022).

Reflections on religious education in the context of digitally inclusive settings have been largely absent to date. This is therefore an exploratory field of research that has gained significant relevance in recent years but has not yet developed a clearly established profile. A relevant doctoral dissertation (Küthe, 2024) is particularly significant for understanding the potential and challenges from a subject-specific didactic perspective.

Research Design and Methodology

To methodologically map the integration of theory and practice, the research strategy of Design-Based Research (DBR) has been adopted. Through iterative cycles, the development, testing, and optimization of digitally inclusive learning environments will be advanced, generating both practical solutions to the associated real-world educational challenges and theoretical insights. The DBR approach is characterized by continuous exchange with the stakeholders in the context. A research group comprising representatives from the three phases of teacher education will be formed for the project: teachers, scholars in subject-specific didactics and pedagogy, directors of teacher training programs, and directors of church-affiliated educational institutions will contribute diverse perspectives and experiences to the research.

The research design takes into account the specific context and research objectives. Therefore, the Grounded Theory Methodology (Strauss & Corbin) is used for theory-generating data analysis. Data collection takes place during the implementation of digitally inclusive learning environments in the classrooms. Observation logs are compiled both during the research workshops and during the instructional sessions. In addition, interviews are conducted with the teachers before and after the instructional sessions. The sampling strategy follows the principle of theoretical sampling and involves a criteria-based, purposeful, and iterative selection process (elementary school teachers who teach religion). Data analysis is conducted using open and axial coding according to Grounded Theory.

The research project is in its early stages; therefore, the considerations developed so far are preliminary. Naturally, further findings and adjustments may arise as the study progresses.

As of: 07/25