The impact of a professional upskilling training programme on developing teachers' digital competence

The development of the digital environment covers almost all spheres of life. Today, every person needs a wide range of digital knowledge, abilities, and skills in the intelligent use of the latest technologies for education, professional activities, and participation in society. Special attention is paid to providing the educational process of institutions of higher military education with appropriate digital technologies that would meet modern challenges and ensure the support and development of modern digital competencies of teachers. The article presents the results of an empirical study of the peculiarities of the development of digital competences among scientific and scientific-pedagogical employees of institutions of higher military education. It was established that in the conditions of digital challenges, the role of a teacher of a higher military education institution as a provider of digital transformations and the formation of his digital competence becomes important. It was noted that the majority of scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers paid due attention to the issue of systematic application of information technologies in professional activities. It was established that teachers need the development of digital competence related to the work of gamification tools, content visualization for solving practical, professional and general educational goals. It was determined that the digital competence of scientific and scientific-pedagogical workers of institutions of higher military education should be considered as the newest type of literacy, which is associated with special knowledge, skills, and practical skills for activities in a digital educational environment. Mandatory structural components of a teacher's digital competence are computer literacy, information literacy, communicative literacy, and safety in the digital environment. The development of digital competences of teachers will contribute to the establishment of interaction with students, overcoming the digital gap between participants in the educational process, the development of digital literacy of students, and their conscious use of digital technologies for their own realization in the conditions of a digital society.

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the impact of the relationship between social/emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagements on developing preservice teachers’ digital competencies. The social/emotional engagement can be illustrated with actions associated with learning, such as excitement, interest, and motivation. Cognitive engagement is the active process of learning and is the most essential form of learning. Finally, behavioral engagement is the physical behavior associated with doing the work and following the rules. Background: Teachers’ digital competencies are essential in creating an active e-learning environment that ensures students’ engagements and reduces learners’ sense of isolation. Due to the lockdown of COVID-19 in March 2020, schools and universities shifted toward e-learning, where higher education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced a digital transformation. Many questions have been raised about life after COVID-19, competencies needed for the new demands of jobs that do not yet exist, social/emotional development of students, and their engagements in online classes. Methodology: An explanatory sequential mixed-method approach was utilized, using a quantitative data method followed by a qualitative data method. An online survey was used to collect the quantitative data from participants. The convenient research population is female preservice teachers who are considered learners enrolled in semesters 3-8 and learning online. Focus group discussions were used to collect the qualitative data from selected participants. Contribution: The findings of the study contribute toward a deeper understanding of the relationship between social/emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagements and their positive impact on developing learners’ digital competencies. The results can be leveraged during or after the pandemic to design strategies and pedagogies that enhance learners’ engagements and develop their digital competencies based on the conceptual framework of the study. Findings: The study’s results reveal a significant positive correlation between social/emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagements that lead to the development of preservice teachers’ digital competency. The relationship between social/emotional and cognitive engagements is stronger than between cognitive and behavioral engagements, while the relationship between social/emotional and behavioral engagements is balanced. Recommendations for Practitioners: Instructors need to consider students’ well-being and avoid the sense of isolation among students through designing strategies and pedagogies using the framework of the study that enhance learners’ engagements. More focus is needed on training instructors and educators in using different interactive applications that enhance learners’ and educators’ digital competency. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings provide theoretical evidence of the impact of the relationship between social/emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagements on developing learners’ digital competencies. However, this study was conducted in an early childhood education program in higher education where all the participants were females. It is highly recommended that future research repeats the study with male and female participants, as well as implement the study with different age groups from k-12 students. Impact on Society: This research highlights the importance of considering the social/emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagements in developing learners’ digital competencies. It is interestingly important to reinforce the teaching, cognitive and social presence among all instructors and teachers due to the positive impact on students’ online learning. Future Research: Future research on measuring the impact of transforming students’ design thinking mindset after using interactive technology is recommended. In addition, it is highly recommended to consider measuring how the students’ learning is influenced by the teaching presence of their instructors. Also, it is recommended that future research considers measuring the instructors’ digital competencies and their impact on planning instructional activities.

Digital competency is defined as “the confident, critical and responsible use of, and engagement with, digital technologies for learning, at work, and for participation in society”(1). Digital competence is an essential skill required in today’s modern society and has become a highly desired skill in employment. The digitalisation of education has broadened the student skillset deemed necessary to being a well-rounded professional(2). Yet little is known on how digital competency is currently taught or assessed in nutrition science education. The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which Irish nutrition science educators conceptualise digital competence and how digital competency education is integrated into nutrition science teaching and learning.Two semi-structured focus groups with 15 nutrition science educators from three undergraduate nutrition science programmes in Ireland were conducted. Participants completed a baseline digital competency assessment using the MyDigiSkills(3) tool, testing five areas of competence. Focus groups followed a semi-structured interview guide focusing on questions around digital competency, digital skill requirements, teaching and learning digitally, training and upskilling opportunities, and future digital competency education. Focus groups were transcribed and a content analysis conducted whereby the data were coded, categorised and discussed by all authors.The digital competency assessment tool highlighted higher levels of competence for ‘Information and Data Literacy’ and ‘Communication and Collaboration’ and lower levels of competence for ‘Digital Content Creation’, ‘Safety’, and ‘Problem Solving’. A clear difference was seen between focus group discussions with one focused on a more traditional approach and the other a more modern innovative approach. Participants reported using multiple ways to teach digital competency through presentations, podcasts, development of professional social media accounts, e-portfolios, Twitter chats, blog sessions, media diaries, and recipe analysis tools. Internal and external training opportunities to learn about and develop digital literacy and skills were identified across both groups and barriers to embracing those opportunities highlighted – funding, protection of time, equipment.This study highlights that digital competency is becoming an important aspect of nutrition science education and educators agreed digital skills are important to teach and ensure graduates can meet the expectation of today’s modern workforce. Educators’ opportunities to upskill and learn about digital competency should focus on improving competence in areas of ‘Content Creation’, ‘Safety’ and ‘Problem Solving’. Improving nutrition educators’ digital competency levels will enhance digital teaching and learning for future students. Funding was reported as a major barrier to improving digital skills causing delays with accessing innovative tools to enhance teaching and learning practices, limiting training days, updated software, and new equipment. These flexible courses help educators understand new technology and update their skills. Future research should focus on removing these barriers for educators upskilling and providing more support for embracing digital innovations in education.

Information and digital competence has become a key component of an educator’s professional success, as it facilitate the integration of innovative approaches into teaching and align with the needs of modern pupils.The purpose of this study was to assess the level of educators’ digital competence and develop recommendations for its enhancement to ensure the effective use of digital technologies in education. The research was based on the application of theoretical methods, including analysis, synthesis, generalisation, and systematisation, which enabled the identification of current trends in the use of digital technologies in education. The empirical part of the study involved a survey conducted among educators working in general secondary education institutions. Special attention was given to the role of digital competence in ensuring the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process within the dynamic development of digital technologies. It was found that information and digital skills not only enhance pedagogical expertise but also create favourable conditions for integrating innovative approaches into teaching. Such competencies enable educators to adapt teaching methods to the needs of modern pupils, who are shaped by a digital environment and accustomed to the active use of technology in their daily lives. The survey results revealed the extent to which teachers utilise digital tools in developing educational materials, organising interactive lessons, and integrating information and communication technologies into the learning process. This study identified the level of educators’ digital competence and highlighted key challenges in implementing digital technologies, including insufficient technical support, the need to improve knowledge and skills, and a lack of educational resources. The practical value of the article lies in the potential use of the findings to develop targeted professional development programmes for educators, aimed at enhancing their digital literacy and facilitating the effective integration of technology into the teaching and learning process.

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar criticamente ao leitor de língua portuguesa a série de documentos sobre competências digitais denominados DigComp, elaborados pelo Joint Research Centre (JRC) da Comissão Europeia, além de outros relatórios relacionados. A metodologia compreendeu pesquisas na Internet, uma revisão sistemática de literatura e a leitura crítica dos documentos. Os resultados indicaram que esses documentos estão baseados em Comunicações da Comissão Europeia e Recomendações do Parlamento Europeu publicadas entre 2006 e 2018, que apontam as competências necessárias para a aprendizagem ao longo da vida, dentre as quais a competência digital, além de apresentarem os compromissos da União Europeia em relação a essa temática. A União Europeia elaborou então diferentes frameworks ou marcos: DigComp 1.0, DigComp 2.0 e DigComp 2.1, voltados para os cidadãos, além do DigComp into action, com exemplos e casos práticos de seu uso; DigCompEdu, DigCompOrg e OpenEdu, voltados à área da educação; e DigCompConsumers e EntreComp, voltados ao ambiente dos negócios, além do EntreComp into action, também com exemplos e casos práticos de seu uso. Este artigo apresenta, compara e discute esses documentos, analisando a dificuldade em se fragmentar e avaliar competências digitais. A pesquisa identificou também estudos de tendências gerais nessas áreas, que o artigo menciona, mas não discute, sobre temas como: MOOCs, makerspaces, learning analytics, pensamento computacional, blockchain e políticas para a integração e o uso inovador de tecnologias digitais na educação. O artigo conclui que esses frameworks constituem importantes modelos para a compreensão e o desenvolvimento de competências digitais, não havendo uma riqueza e série de documentos similares desenvolvidos no Brasil.

The renewed 2017 EU Higher Education Agenda expresses the intention to “develop and implement a digital readiness model” to assist higher education institutions, their staff, and students in implementing digital learning strategies and maximising the potential of cutting‐edge technologies such as learning analytics. The anticipated digital transformation will only be successful if higher education institutions and teachers strengthen their digital competences and skills and “become” digitally competent. Many of the incentives for these processes were prompted by the unexpected Covid‐19 crisis, which highlighted the importance of higher education teachers’ digital skills in the need to digitise the higher education environment. The Covid‐19 crisis experience and the accelerating development of digitalisation are changing both the conditions for education and education itself, which is why higher education teachers face the challenging task of lifelong development of digital competences. To complete this task, they must learn about information and communication technology (ICT)/digital technologies and how they can be integrated into the pedagogical process. The challenge for higher education teachers is to develop ICT‐based teaching. This is not about how higher education teachers (and students) master ICT, but about how to make ICT one of the tools for carrying out pedagogical activities in general. The article addresses the development of digital competences among higher education teachers as a critical issue in the renovation of higher education didactics. To that end, various digital competence models and concepts are presented. Among other things, the European Digital Competence Framework for Teachers is highlighted. The case study of activities aimed at developing digital competences of higher education teachers at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), and thus higher education teachers working in the field of education for public administration. Based on the analysis of activities, we discover an increased interest in the development of digital competences, which is reflected in various forms of institutional (university) support for educators (e.g. training), as well as an increased interest in the development of digital competences among higher education teachers.

Training of project managers and their development of knowledge competencies and digital competencies is one of main attributes of success performance results in each sector. The use of digital and knowledge technologies can be a prerequisite for effective life-cycle cost management in context of development of digital and knowledge competencies. Life Cycle Cost Management is an important part of cost management and approach in each industry. The construction industry is an important sector of the country's economy. It is the relationship between project managers and their level of use of knowledge and digital competencies that can be key concerning effective cost management in construction. Acquisition of digital and knowledge competencies and skills through the use of digital and knowledge technologies is a process for increasing managerial competencies. This research addresses the relationship and how to acquire knowledge and digital competencies using knowledge and digital technologies in Life Cycle Cost Management. It is the relationship and use of digital technologies, the level of knowledge and digital competences and the level of lifetime costs that is the subject of research. The main goal of the research is to point out the relationship between the acquisition of knowledge and digital competencies and the amount of life cycle cost management in individual phases of the life cycle of a construction project.

Aim/Purpose: This study examined the impact of blended learning on science learning achievement and digital skills among Grade 4 students at Ekamai International School, Bangkok. Specifically, it aimed to determine whether there were significant differences in academic performance and digital competency before and after the intervention. By evaluating these outcomes, the study provides insights into the effectiveness of blended learning in enhancing students’ understanding of Earth Science and fostering essential digital skills. Additionally, it sought to explore how blended learning influences conceptual understanding, retention, and engagement in elementary science education. The study also examined the role of blended learning in developing students’ ability to effectively utilize digital tools for research, communication, and presentations. Furthermore, it aimed to identify best practices for implementing blended learning in elementary classrooms, offering empirical data to inform curricular design and instructional methodologies. By investigating students’ perceptions and experiences, this research evaluated the extent to which blended learning impacts motivation, self-directed learning, and overall classroom engagement. The findings of this study contribute to the growing body of knowledge on blended learning in elementary education, providing recommendations for educators and policymakers on optimizing its integration to improve student learning outcomes. Introduction/Background: Blended learning combines traditional face-to-face instruction with online learning components, creating a flexible and interactive educational experience. This approach has gained attention for its potential to enhance student engagement, achievement, and digital competency by integrating technology into learning. In science education, where critical thinking and digital literacy are essential, blended learning offers opportunities for deeper understanding through multimedia resources, virtual simulations, and interactive activities. While research has demonstrated its benefits in secondary and higher education, its application in elementary education remains underexplored, particularly in improving digital skills and fostering student-centered learning. Science education plays a crucial role in developing students’ problem-solving abilities and inquiry-based learning skills, yet traditional teaching methods often rely on passive instruction that may not fully engage young learners. Blended learning addresses these limitations by providing personalized instruction, self-paced learning, and technology-enhanced activities that support conceptual understanding. Despite the increasing integration of technology in education, there is limited research on how blended learning impacts elementary students' academic performance and digital literacy in Thailand. This study seeks to fill this gap by assessing the effects of blended learning in the Earth Science course for Grade 4 students at Ekamai International School, Bangkok. By examining students’ achievement and digital competency before and after the intervention, this research aimed to provide insights into the effectiveness of blended learning in elementary science education and inform best practices for its implementation. Methodology: This study employed a quasi-experimental one-group pre-test and post-test design to assess the impact of blended learning on science learning achievement and digital skills among 20 Grade 4 students from Ekamai International School, selected through cluster random sampling. The intervention consisted of five Earth Science lessons using a flipped classroom model, spanning 40 instructional hours over ten weeks. Students engaged with online materials before participating in in-class sessions, which focused on hands-on interactive activities. Pre- and post-tests measured changes in science learning achievement and digital skills, using a standardized test and a digital competency assessment. Both instruments were validated for reliability and content accuracy. Paired t-tests were conducted to compare pre-test and post-test scores, with a significance level of p < 0.05, to determine whether blended learning significantly enhanced students' academic performance and digital literacy. The findings contribute to understanding how blended learning can support elementary science education and digital competency development. Findings: 1. Science Learning Achievement: The results revealed a statistically significant improvement in students' post-test scores compared to their pre-test scores (p < .05). The effect size of the difference using Cohen’s d was 2.30, which is considered a large effect size. This indicates that the blended learning approach effectively enhanced their understanding of Earth Science topics. Digital Skills: No statistically significant difference was observed in students' digital skills before and after the intervention (p > .05). The effect size of the difference using Cohen’s d was 0.41, which is considered a small effect size. This suggests that while the blended learning approach enriched science achievement, its impact on digital skills was not as pronounced within the study's timeframe. Contribution/Impact on Society: This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence on the efficacy of blended learning at the elementary level. The findings underscore its potential to improve academic outcomes in science education, while highlighting areas for further development in fostering digital skills. The results offer valuable insights for educators and policymakers who aim to integrate technology into early education, ensuring alignment with 21st century learning demands. Recommendations: 1. For Practitioners: Implement blended learning models, such as the flipped classroom, in elementary science education to enhance student engagement and achievement. Provide structured guidance to improve digital skills through targeted activities. For Researchers: Explore the long-term effects of blended learning on digital skills and its application across diverse subjects and age groups. Investigate methods to optimize the integration of digital literacy components into lesson plans. Research Limitations: This study was constrained by its small sample size (20 students), lack of a control group, and short intervention duration 40 hours). The focus on a single subject, Earth Science, and the specific setting of an international school in Bangkok limits the generalizability of findings. Additionally, the study employed only the flipped classroom model, excluding other blended learning approaches that might yield different outcomes. Future Research: Future studies might consider: Expanding sample sizes and including diverse educational settings to improve generalizability. Extending intervention durations to examine long-term effects on digital skills. Exploring blended learning's impact across multiple subjects and incorporating advanced digital competencies such as coding and multimedia production. Comparing the flipped classroom with other blended learning models to identify the most effective approaches for elementary education.

Even when the educational use of digital technology has increased considerably in recent years, there is still a need to achieve a greater methodological transformation, which requires further teacher training in digital competence. The aim of this study is to analyse self-perceived teacher digital competence and the educational use of digital technology among 1399 preschool, primary, and secondary teachers in Spain, considering their profiles according to these variables. To do so, a quantitative research approach, with a non-experimental survey design was conducted. Using descriptive statistics and cluster analysis, four teacher profiles were identified based on competence levels and technology use. Overall, teachers rated their digital competence as medium-expert and reported a more frequent use of technology for planning than for implementing classroom activities. Cluster analysis yielded four teacher profiles, which varied according to school level, gender, age, and teaching experience, revealing different gaps and needs across the groups. These findings offer a comprehensive view of the teachers’ digital skills, informing specific training approaches to support the integration of digital tools in education and to drive methodological transformation.

The article examines ways and approaches to the formation of digital competence of a teacher of a higher military education institution. The importance of the introduction of modern educational technologies in the educational process is indicated, the role of a trained teacher in this process, who possesses a certain set of professional competencies and is able to generate them for those who study, is emphasized. Attention is focused on approaches to the formation of the teacher's digital competence and requires personal development and continuous personal self-improvement from the teacher. The results of an empirical study of the peculiarities of the development of digital competences among teachers of institutions of higher military education are presented. It was established that in the conditions of digital challenges, the role of a teacher of a higher military education institution as a provider of digital transformations and the formation of his digital competence becomes important. It is noted that the majority of teachers are interested in the development of digital competence. It was established that teachers need the development of digital competence related to the work of gamification tools, content visualization for solving practical, professional and general educational goals. It was determined that the digital competence of teachers of higher military education institutions should be considered as a new type of literacy, which is associated with special knowledge, skills, and practical skills for activities in a digital educational environment. The development of digital competences of teachers will contribute to establishing interaction with students, overcoming the digital gap between participants in the educational process, and their conscious use of digital technologies for their own realization in the conditions of a digital society. It is indicated that the end-to-end application of digital technologies in the educational process should become a tool for improving the quality of the educational process.

The article deals with the problem of determining the components of the methodical system of development of information and digital competence in the teaching of physics and technical disciplines in the preparation of future computer technology specialists. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. Mankind has passed into a qualitatively new information age. Gradually changes occur in the conditions of its existence. Now humanity is moving into an anthropogenic information society. The attitude of scientists to the problem of development of information and digital competence is researched. It was established that the problem of development of information and digital competence in the study of physics and technical disciplines in the preparation of future computer technology specialists has not found its solution. A number of methods were used to solve the above problems: analysis and generalization of psychological and pedagogical literature, normative documents, concepts of training of specialists; conducted a survey of scientific and pedagogical workers on the problem of development of information and digital competence in modern conditions; structural-logical analysis is used. In the article, the authors identified the components of the goals of acquiring knowledge, skills, skills, values and readiness for use even while studying; characteristics of the development of information and digital competence; components of psycho-pedagogical information and digital skills and integrative knowledge; components of the development of information and digital competence on the basis of integrative knowledge of physics and technical disciplines. As a result of the conducted research the model of the methodical integrative system of development of information and digital competence is formed. It includes elements of methodological orientation. They are focused around the concept of the model and the concept block of integrative modern science and technology. They focus on the notion of a fundamental integrative theory of information and digital competence. The formed model has a formal and substantive characteristic. The formal description includes elemental blocks in theory. The structure of elemental units includes definitions, principles of fundamental empirical, theoretical and non-fundamental empirical laws. Key words: information and digital competence, integrability, components of the methodical system, preparation of future specialists of computer technologies, methods of teaching physics and technical disciplines.

Background. The conceptual foundations of the development of digital competence for lifelong learning and the analysis of its regulatory and legal regulation have been clarified; identification of educational practices that most effectively satisfy the social and educational needs of citizens for the development of digital competence in the system of informal education. The purpose of the article is to define educational practices for the development of citizens' digital competence. It was found that the development of digital competence of citizens is based on the idea of competence; a trend towards constant updating of normative documents has been established; educational practices have been determined that will meet the needs of citizens regarding the development of digital competence in the system of non-formal education. Methods. The theoretical analysis of scientific works on the problems of developing citizens' digital competence was chosen as the research method. The search for information using scientific metric databases Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, by keywords was applied; government and parliamentary information platforms and portals; theoretical analysis of scientific works on the problems of developing citizens' digital competence; content analysis of regulatory and legal documents, analytical materials, instructional and informational materials and their formalization, comparison of the capabilities of remote platforms; generalization of the received data and development of proposals. Results. Based on the results of the research, it was found that in the European educational space, the idea of competence is accepted as the conceptual basis for the development of citizens' digital competence. It has been established that today it has been developed into an innovative idea of cross-cutting key competences through a combination of formal, informal and informal education. Tendencies for constant updating of the legal regulation of the development of digital competence have been revealed. Conclusions. Educational practices aimed at the greatest satisfaction of the social and educational needs of specialists in the development of digital competence in the system of non-formal education are highlighted, which are divided into traditional and innovative forms, combining a wide range of various educational and online platforms for distance and online learning, under the guidance of a teacher or independent performance of tasks.

Researchers and society in general seem to be conflicted regarding the use of digital technology in early childhood education (ECE). Some are focusing on the positive aspects of using digital technology, while others are critical and position it as an enemy of early childhood practice. It has been argued that digital technology is not appropriate for young children’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. Nevertheless, supporting and developing young children’s beginning digital competence is implemented in curricula and teacher education globally. The need for teachers’ professional digital competence (PDC) is increasing according to the development and increased use of digital technology in society as a whole, including in the field of education. The field of research has, to a large extent, been focused on primary and secondary education, and there is a lack of research on PDC in ECE. To gain insight into the dynamics of PDC in ECE, we investigated a range of ECE contexts by including different international perspectives in a comparative study of pre-service early childhood (EC) teachers transitioning to being in-service teachers. The survey was conducted in eight different nations (Norway, Slovenia, Portugal, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, England and Jordan) and resulted in 772 responses from pre-service teachers in the last year of their education. The paper discusses these international perspectives, considering the differences found between nations. It also investigates the dynamics of PDC, understood in this article as comprising attitudes, skills and knowledge. Following this, it also investigates how these dynamics are affecting the pre-service teachers’ expectations related to their future application of digital tools as teachers to be. The results indicate large differences between nations for both single items and multi-item scales. At the same time, the dynamics of digital practices across nations reveal that attitudes, digital skills and knowledge are statistically strong predictors of pre-service teachers’ future use of educational digital technology (EDT). This indicates both similarities and differences across nations and could serve as insight regarding the development of teacher programmes and the importance of including all aspects when developing pre-service teachers’ PDC. This article, due to its limitation, will not elaborate in depth on contextual differences, and further qualitative research is needed to understand the complexity related to educational culture and practice.

PurposeAs part of the EFOP-3.3.3-VEKOP-16–2016-00001 “Museum and Library Development for All” project, a national representative digital literacy survey was conducted in Hungary's public libraries at the end of 2019. The aim of the present study is to provide a deeper analysis of the data collected during the survey to answer the question of the role of gender and age in the development of digital skills amongst librarians working in public libraries. This study was designed to answer the following four research questions: Are there levels of proficiency defined by DigComp 2.1 that are more specific to men or more specific to women? Are there areas of competence and competences that are clearly perceived as stronger or weaker for men or women? Are there areas of competence that are clearly influenced by age and others that are not or only moderately influenced by age? Which competences are clearly age-related, and which are not or only slightly affected by age?Design/methodology/approachThe main target group of the study were library professionals working in county libraries. The survey, based on the DigComp 2.1 (Gomez et al., 2017) framework, was conducted using an online questionnaire in the form of a self-assessment and explored four levels of digital literacy. A 30-question questionnaire was completed by 1,868 respondents. The sampling procedure was essentially stratified sampling. The large number of respondents and the sampling procedure combined with the representativeness of the sample meant that the results of the survey can be considered as generalisable to the whole Hungarian public library sector.FindingsOf the five competency areas assessed by the DigComp framework, librarians were found to be most competent in information and data literacy, and least competent in content development, according to the proportion of those with basic skills. 32 percent of women and 22 percent of men working in libraries rated their digital skills as basic, and both groups were weak or less weak in the same skills, with a few exceptions. At the intermediate level, there is a predominance of women. In the information and communication competency areas and in the content development and integrating and re-elaborating digital content in the content creation area, a high proportion of women consider their digital skills to be medium. Relatively few men rate their own competence in these areas as average. They are most likely to have advanced and highly specialised skills. The advanced level in DigComp2.1 implies, in addition to strong digital skills, the willingness and ability to help others, while the highly specialised level requires innovative and creative use of digital technology and knowledge transfer. These top two skill levels are more common amongst men. 34 per cent of men and 27 per cent of women have advanced skills, while 13 per cent of men and 6 per cent of women have highly specialised’s level. The age of librarians has only a minimal influence in certain areas of competence and for certain competences. Skills in the information and data literacy competency area are less age sensitive. For the data management competency, which requires more technological skills, a stronger correlation between age and skill levels is observed, especially for basic and highly specialised skills. In the communication competence area, the youngest age group of librarians has the highest percentage of advanced and the lowest percentage of basic level. The proportion of advanced learners decreases steadily as age groups progress and the proportion of basic learners increases at a similar steady rate. The effect of age on the content creation is much more modest than expected. Age clearly has an impact on the safety competence area. As age increases, the proportion of those at advanced level decreases and the proportion at basic level increases. Age also has a significant effect on the problem-solving competence area. One in two librarians in the 50 and 60s have only basic level skills, compared to one in four in the youngest age group and one in three in the 40s.Originality/valueUsing the DigComp 2.1 framework, a digital competence survey of a whole professional group of library professionals working in public libraries in Hungary was carried out. The study provides new insights into the impact of gender and age as variables on digital competence.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of a training program based on nanotechnology applications on the development of digital competencies among high school biology teachers. There is a gap between teachers' current digital competencies and the skills needed to effectively leverage nanotechnology in biology education. The study found statistically significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores on a digital competency assessment after teachers completed the nanotechnology training program. The program encompassed fundamental nanoscience knowledge, biology-specific applications, digital skills training, and hands-on activities. Results showed a large effect size, indicating the substantial impact of the intervention on enhancing teachers' digital competencies. Recommendations highlight integrating nanotechnology into science curricula and emphasize biology connections, problem-solving, content creation, and ethical considerations regarding advanced nanomaterials. Promoting teacher motivation and scientific inquiry is vital. The research addresses an urgent need to equip biology educators with digital skills aligned with rapidly evolving science and technology.