The Digital Competence of Pre-Service Educators: The Influence of Personal Variables

Marcos Cabezas-González,Sonia Casillas-Martín,Francisco José García-Peñalvo

doi:10.3390/su13042318

Marcos Cabezas-González, Sonia Casillas-Martín + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042318

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Feb 20, 2021
Citations: 23	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidad de Salamanca

Abstract

Currently, 21st century students need competences that enable them to adapt to a new type of individual information and individual knowledge relationship, and, therefore, the education system should contemplate new ways for learners to develop in accordance with this so-called information and knowledge society. One of special importance is so-called digital competency. This article presents the results of a research study to determine the influence that the variables of gender, age, and academic degree have on the acquisition of digital competence by pre-service educators, with a sample of 370 students from different education degrees from the University of Salamanca (Spain). A quantitative methodology was used, employing a non-experimental method and the electronic survey technique to collect information on the dimensions of knowledge, as well as the management of and attitude towards information and communication technologies (ICTs). Data were analyzed inferentially from a comparison of means using nonparametric tests. This analysis was completed with the incorporation of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves, which allowed us to graphically verify the differences between the subsamples and thus compare the different groups in relation to the proposed dimensions. The main conclusion was that the three variables studied can be considered as influential, though not determinant, in the acquisition of digital competency.

Highlights

21st century students need competences that enable them to adapt to a new type of individual information and individual knowledge relationship, and, the education system should contemplate new ways for learners’ develop in accordance with this so-called information and knowledge society [7]
The main goal of this research was to determine the influence that gender, age, and academic qualification had on the perceived acquisition of digital competency
We present all the main differences found in the digital competence analysis in terms of the three variables: gender, age, and academic qualifications

Summary

Introduction

21st century students need competences that enable them to adapt to a new type of individual information and individual knowledge relationship, and, the education system should contemplate new ways for learners’ develop in accordance with this so-called information and knowledge society [7]. In this sense, the world’s educational policies have focused on the development of competences related to the use of ICT so that users may progress actively in a social and work global context. The digital competence, one of the eight key competences for permanent learning established by the European Union, has become a transversal skill in all Spanish universities [8]

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