The development of teachers’ digital professional competence is a central challenge in today’s schools, where ever‑evolving technological solutions and digital practices continually reshape the conditions and possibilities for teaching. At the same time, research shows that professional development often becomes fragmented when it takes place at the individual level without a shared focus area that unifies the collective and creates anchoring in the school’s practice. This study investigates how teachers can jointly identify and develop a shared development question or object, which can serve as a unifying starting point for professional learning related to digital competence in schools.

The study is based on a research and development project in which teachers participate in collective learning processes aimed at strengthening their digital professional competence through exploratory and practice‑oriented approaches. Using design-based research and communities of practice as its theoretical framework (Wenger, 1998; Engeström, 2015), the study focuses on how teachers negotiate a shared development object—an area they wish to understand and improve together—and how this object gradually evolves through collective reflection and changes in practice.

The analyses show that the work of formulating a shared development question involves both opportunities and challenges. A key opportunity lies in the way a shared development object can strengthen collective reflection and ownership of digital professional development. It creates a shared language and a common purpose that can help build a culture of learning within the teaching staff, rather than one centered on individual technology use. Through collaborative exploration of digital tools in teaching, space is created for dialogue, sharing experiences, and developing professional judgment in relation to complex digital practices.

At the same time, several challenges tied to the process are identified. One of the most prominent is the tension between individual needs and collective priorities: Teachers have different experiences, digital skills, and subject‑specific perspectives, making it difficult to agree on what should constitute a “shared” development area. In addition, time pressures and organizational expectations may limit opportunities for in‑depth collective work. The study also highlights how power relations, role perceptions, and the school’s existing learning culture influence how a shared development object takes shape—and the extent to which it contributes to transformative learning for both individual teachers and the professional community as a whole.

The findings indicate that establishing a shared development question is not just a methodological or organizational measure but a professional and cultural negotiation that requires time, trust, and mutual recognition. However, the process can lay the groundwork for lasting change if supported by leadership, collaborative structures, and a shared understanding of digital competence as more than technical skills—as an integral part of professional practice.

This study contributes insights into how teacher communities can build shared learning trajectories related to digital professional competence and how the very process of developing a shared development object can function as a catalyst for collective professional learning and sustainable school development.

The study employs a design-based research methodology (DBR) to investigate how teachers collectively identify and further develop a shared developmental object related to digital professional competence. DBR is particularly suitable when the aim is both to understand and improve practice through iterative inquiry in authentic learning environments, and when researchers and practitioners work closely together to generate new knowledge. The study is organized into several cycles consisting of planning, implementation, analysis, and redesign, where insights from each cycle form the basis for continued development of both practice and theory. Data collection combines qualitative methods with a focus on teachers’ collective learning processes. Semi-structured group interviews, practice-oriented observations, and documentation from participants’ reflective work are used, including logs, meeting minutes, and shared development notes. This provides access to both teachers’ experience-based perspectives and their concrete actions in relation to digital tools and instructional design. Additionally, audio and video recordings from professional community meetings are used to analyze negotiation processes, meaning-making, and the development of a shared language. The analysis follows a thematic and process-oriented approach inspired by communities of practice theory and activity-theoretical perspectives. Central to this approach is identifying how participants negotiate and reshape a developmental object through dialogue, collaborative exploration, and changes in practice. The analysis therefore focuses not only on the content of teachers’ conversations but also on the dynamics of their interactions, including how power relations, roles, and organizational structures influence the development process. The researcher’s role is both facilitative and analytical, in line with DBR traditions. The researcher participates in planning and reflection processes while also maintaining a meta-reflective responsibility for systematizing findings and supporting teachers’ collective development. Methodologically, the study emphasizes transparency, collaboration, and iterative processes to ensure validity and grounding in the practice context. Together, this methodological approach provides a robust framework for understanding how teaching communities can develop shared developmental objects as a foundation for collective professional learning and digital capacity building.

The anticipated findings suggest that: A shared developmental object strengthens collective ownership Teachers experience increased motivation and a stronger sense of alignment between individual and collective goals when they collaboratively define an area for digital competence development. A shared language and common understanding develop gradually Through dialogue, exploration, and reflection, teachers establish a more precise and nuanced language for discussing digital practice. When teachers share experiences across subjects and grade levels, variations in practice become visible. Digital tools are understood as pedagogical resources rather than technical objects The findings are expected to show that teachers gradually shift from a technology-oriented focus (“how do I use the tool?”) to a pedagogically oriented focus (“what does this enable for learning?”). Conclusion The study concludes that the development of a shared developmental object is a key mechanism for strengthening collective professional learning related to digital competence in schools. The work of formulating and negotiating this object functions as both a learning process and a cultural negotiation, through which teachers not only develop new insights but also new ways of collaborating. The analyses show that collective professional development requires time, trust, and organizational structures that support experimentation and reflection. When these conditions are present, the process contributes to: a deeper understanding of digital competence as a component of professional practice a strengthened professional community more sustainable changes in teaching and learning culture greater relevance and precision in the school’s digital development work The study therefore emphasizes that professional development should not be viewed as an individual training initiative, but as a collective practice in which teachers jointly explore, negotiate, and refine digital approaches that are meaningful within their context. This establishes a foundation for more sustainable school development and a professional culture better equipped to respond to ongoing digital change.

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