Professional Digital Competence Research Articles

Pathways to professional digital competence to teach for digital citizenship: social science teacher education in flux

ABSTRACT Increasingly pervasive digital technologies in societies are placing complex demands on the development of young people’s digital citizenship and digital competence. Social science education and teacher education (TE) play important, but poorly understood, roles in this development. Through reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews, this paper explores 15 Swedish teacher educators’ (TEDs) views of teaching for digital citizenship, particularly social science TE’s role. We also consider organisational and personal conditions that may influence TEDs’ views of professional digital competence (PDC) for such teaching. Their views are examined through a postdigital lens, with a focus on democratic implications in evolving socio-technical environments. The results indicate that TEDs acknowledge the importance of social science TE in teaching for digital citizenship, but find maintaining responsiveness to societal changes challenging. Challenges are also posed by the multidisciplinary character of social science education, including how personal trajectories shape TEDs’ views of their dual-didactic task of teaching to teach for digital citizenship. This paper contributes knowledge of how TEDs, as ‘street-level bureaucrats’ in social science TE, navigate between written and performed education policy in teaching for digital citizenship, with specific attention to the dynamic character of PDC in social science education.

Developing professional digital competence in Norwegian teacher education: a scoping review

The widespread use of educational technology in schools compels teachers to seamlessly integrate technology while developing students’ digital competence. As educational technology continually evolves, digital competence becomes a dynamic target. Thus, teacher education must effectively prepare student teachers to teach effectively with technology. Researchers are increasingly examining the concept of teachers’ digital competence and how teacher education supports student teachers’ acquisition of digital skills for future employability. In Nordic countries like Norway, the term Professional Digital Competence (PDC) frames a teacher’s essential knowledge for using digital technology in teaching and learning. Despite this focus, there’s limited understanding of how Norwegian teacher education fosters PDC. This scoping review investigates current research on PDC and its implementation within Norwegian teacher education. Findings from numerical and thematic analysis offer insights into the prevalent types of PDC research. Thirty-four peer-reviewed papers were identified and coded along three dimensions: (1) theoretical perspectives, (2) research questions and methods, and (3) application and implementation. The review reveals a predominant focus on student and teacher educator perceptions or self-assessments when measuring digital competence. Our findings show that professional digital competence in teacher education is diverse and multifaceted. However, there are gaps in the current state of knowledge. To address this, we propose a definition and a framework to guide teacher educators. Future research should broaden participant profiles and involve a more diverse group of educators.

Teacher preparation for the digital age: Is it still an instrumental endeavor?

ABSTRACT Preparing student teachers for a profession that continuously changes in relation to digitalisation is a global challenge. By analysing survey data about how teacher educators (N = 389) report that they prepare their students for this challenge, we find that the focus is still on learning to use digital technologies for instrumental purposes, while relating to more fundamental epistemic challenges emerging in digital learning environments receives less attention. We address risks associated with this finding, and how a more concurrent focus on the instrumental and epistemic dimensions of professional digital competence (PDC) can be supported in teacher education.

Professionals' digital competences and user profiles in social agencies and their impact on professional practice, family autonomy and wellbeing.

The health crisis of the last 3 years has revealed the weaknesses of the child and family support system based on the professional use of digital resources in social agencies. This study addresses three aims: to examine the level of professional digital competence; to analyze the user profiles in a variety of digital resources; and to test the impact of level of competences and user profiles on four aspects: professional practice, family satisfaction with the services, child and family wellbeing, and family autonomy in the exercise of the parenting role. Participants were 148 practitioners from social agencies who voluntarily responded to an online survey with 47 questions. Results showed that professionals perceive themselves as more competent in areas of information / data management and communication / collaboration than in the creation of digital content, security measures, and technical problem solving. Websites, email, and instant messaging were the sources more frequently used and with higher satisfaction, than structured programs, social networks and multimedia content. Variability in the user profiles showed three clusters: Cluster 1 Social network user (n = 13), Cluster 2 Diversified user (n = 75) and Cluster 3 Communicative instant user (n = 60). Participants in Cluster 2 compared to those in the other clusters were the most proficient on their digital competences and acknowledge the positive impact of digital resources on their professional practice and the psychological and social wellbeing of families. This study points the need for improvement in professionals' digital competences in some of the measured areas and the user profile of digital resources since both provide benefits on professional practice and family autonomy and wellbeing.

Elevating Teachers’ Professional Digital Competence: Synergies of Principals’ Instructional E-Supervision, Technology Leadership and Digital Culture for Educational Excellence in Digital-Savvy Era

Elevating Teachers’ Professional Digital Competence: Synergies of Principals’ Instructional E-Supervision, Technology Leadership and Digital Culture for Educational Excellence in Digital-Savvy Era

Tensions between the political, institutional, and project levels when developing professional digital competence in teacher education. A cultural historical activity theory analysis of inhibiting and facilitating factors

ABSTRACT This study is a Cultural Historical Activity Theory analysis of the tensions between object and motive at the political, institutional and project management levels for five digitalisation projects aimed at integrating professional digital competence (PDC) in Norwegian teacher education (TE). The study is inspired by ethnography and builds on a variety of qualitative data (including qualitative interviews (N = 14)) gathered through the author’s participation in different roles (2017–2021). Identifying objects and motives across levels allows for the identification of factors inhibiting and facilitating factors the development of PDC in TE. An analytical model was developed to identify the objects and motives at each level, showing a political object of preparing for the future, an institutional object of creating high quality TE, and a project management object of delivering a lasting impact on TE. These differing objects and motives guide the activities at each level and reveal tension, including between the political push for change, project management’s attempts to deliver impact, and a culture built on academic freedom which seems counterproductive by slowing things down. The study also reveals facilitating factors, such as funding and relevance in collaboration with schools, and inhibiting factors like academic freedom and the expected speed of change.

The importance of context in teacher educators’ professional digital competence

ABSTRACT Digital technologies permeate modern life, and schools are accordingly expected to help students develop related knowledge and skills. As a result, educators’ professional digital competence (PDC) has received substantial attention from school leaders, policymakers, teacher educators, and researchers. Theory and prior research suggest that educators’ PDC does not solely determine their technology use, with contextual factors, such as competing curricular demands and access to technology, influencing technology implementation and ongoing PDC development. While some prior research has addressed how PK-12 teachers’ contexts shape their digital technology use, few studies have explored similar matters with respect to teacher educators. Drawing on an established set of teacher educator technology competencies, we report results from an international survey of 336 teacher educators regarding their self-reported PDC and its development and enactment. Using qualitative coding, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and quantitative analysis, we find that teacher educators develop and enact their competencies in various ways including through informal endeavours as well as formal, institutionally supported, and/or led activities. Three types of assets and barriers (access, leadership, personal characteristics) present differently for participants in different contexts. These findings have implications for how institutions support teacher educators’ PDC development and technology integration in various settings.

Teacher education as stakeholder: teacher educator perspectives on the integration of computational thinking into mathematics and science courses

ABSTRACT Owing to its recognition as a 21st-century skill, computational thinking (CT) is currently being introduced into school curricula around the world. However, in-service teachers are largely unprepared for this implementation, which, in turn, makes teacher educators (TEds) important stakeholders in preparing prospective teachers to integrate CT into their classroom practices. In this regard, TEds are charged with a twofold responsibility: they must develop not only their own CT skills and digital competence but also a way of teaching these to the next generation of teachers who will facilitate future pupils’ learning. In this paper, we report on 17 TEds’ experience regarding the challenges and opportunities of integrating CT into Norway’s primary teacher education mathematics and science courses two years after CT’s introduction into Norwegian primary schools. A data-driven thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews was conducted. Our analysis suggests that it is challenging to integrate CT into existing courses. Such challenges, as well as opportunities, seem to apply at four levels: the systemic, teacher educator, student teacher, and subject levels. The results provide valuable insights for key stakeholders into the challenges and opportunities of integrating CT into teacher education, thus contributing to the body of research on professional digital competence.

Exploring and reflecting on the influences that shape teacher professional digital competence frameworks

ABSTRACT The importance of Digital Competence in teacher education has increased in recent years resulting in a range of digital competency frameworks aimed at guiding national and regional governments in their integration of digital competence in teacher education. The discourses and assumptions underpinning digital competence frameworks are discussed in this paper using two influential supra-national competency frameworks, the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers and the DigCompEdu, as examples. The theoretical reflection argues that several influences have shaped the current discourse. These influences include the rise of teacher performance and competency frameworks, the tradition of ranking teachers’ levels of technology use and the techno-centric education discourses that align technology use with constructivist practices. Through this theoretical reflection, the paper raises questions about their use in, and implications for, teacher education arguing that, while such frameworks provide helpful guidance for policy makers and teacher educators, they may stifle teachers’ professional autonomy and straight-jacket technology use in a linear and deterministic manner.

Flexible learning spaces as an arena for developing professional digital competence through small group collaboration

ABSTRACT Flexible technology-rich learning spaces such as Future Classroom Labs (FCL) have a large potential for developing teacher education (TE) students’ professional digital competence through engaging in authentic collaborative learning experiences with digital technology. However, there are limited reports on how students perceive and enact the affordances existing in such learning spaces. This paper reports on how one such FCL can facilitate collaborative learning among TE students. The paper poses two research questions: 1) How does the FCL as a learning space accommodate for collaborative learning? and 2) How do the artefacts promote or limit collaboration among students at the FCL? The data were collected through observations of four sessions of group work at the FCL, each having a different group of 15–16 first-year TE students. The results suggest that the FCL promoted collaborative work in terms of finding and building groups, monitoring, and resource-sharing across the small groups. However, students depended on external guidance from a teacher or student assistant to understand the technical sides of the artefacts, and their educational potential. Therefore, the implication is that in their first visits to FCLs, students need guidance to get started with the distinct tasks, and to master the various devices.

The ‘professional digital competence’: Exploring the perspective of primary music teachers in Spain

The terms ‘Digital competence’ or ‘Professional digital competence’ are frequently used, yet their understanding remains varied and elusive. Moreover, existing research in education heavily focuses on the study of digital competence among students, with comparatively limited attention given to teachers. In this study, we aim to investigate primary music teachers’ perspectives on ‘professional digital competence’ in Spain. This entails understanding their conceptualizations on (1) the term itself, (2) the cultivation of related skills and (3) its practical application with students. Additionally, we seek to compare primary music teachers’ viewpoints with those of teachers from other subjects. Through a qualitative multi-case study involving purposeful sampling of 20 participants, the results suggest that our music teachers, regardless of their self-stated technological skills, possess a limited understanding of the ‘professional digital competence’ and express negative or pessimistic beliefs towards its development and implementation. Furthermore, they feel compelled to use educational technology despite their reservations. Our findings similarly indicate that their beliefs are not meaningfully different from those of non-music teachers in the same context. In discussing the implications, we suggest that these beliefs may lead to stress and anxiety among participants, necessitating support from educational administrators. Additionally, we propose that future research should further investigate both why and how our participants feel/are pressured to use technology, and the particular disadvantages of technology in music education identified in our analysis of their beliefs.

Overview of Professional Digital Competence of Teachers in the DKI Jakarta Regional Mobilizing Ecce Unit

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is becoming an inseparable part of human life today. Its use gives hope for the rapid improvement of various aspects of human life, including education. The use of ICT in education can support the achievement of learning outcomes, and mass dissemination of knowledge, improve the quality of learning and accelerate educational services, and strengthen communication and coordination with new people or working groups. This is the background of the school digitization program. The success of school digitalization at least requires the availability of technological devices, internet networks, and teachers' digital competencies. This study aims to determine the level of professional digital competence of teachers in the driving PAUD unit in the DKI Jakarta area. The research method used is quantitative descriptive. The study population is teachers in the driving ECD unit located in DKI Jakarta Province. The sampling technique used was multistage sampling so a sample of 73 people was obtained. Data collection using questionnaires shared via Google Forms. Most respondents were in the East Jakarta area as many as 24 people (32.9%), South Jakarta as many as 23 people (31.5%), the West Jakarta area as many as 17 people (23.3%), and the North Jakarta area as many as 9 people (12.3%). With a working period of 0-10 years as many as 43 people (58.9%). Based on the results of the analysis, it is known that the value of teachers' professional digital competence is seen from three aspects, namely technological proficiency with an average value of 40.42, pedagogical compatibility with an average value of 42.15, and social awareness with an average value of 21.81. Thus, it can be concluded that teachers in the driving PAUD unit in the DKI Jakarta area have mastery of aspects of technological proficiency, pedagogical compatibility, and social awareness is very good.

Digital compliance or professional competence? Representations of teachers and digital futures in the Norwegian Qualification Framework

ABSTRACT This paper presents a document analysis of the Norwegian qualification framework Professional Digital Competence Framework for Teachers (PDC) to explore the underlying assumptions within the policy. Employing a post-structural policy analysis, the paper analyses the representation of the ‘problem’ of PDC by asking what the document does in relation to teachers’ professionalism. To do this, the analysis explores the underlying assumptions of the policy document and its construction of the problem. The paper argues that the policy document is constructing a particular image of a digital future and presenting the teacher as the ‘problem’ in realising this imagined future. The paper discusses the discursive effects of this policy and explores the implications for the teaching profession.

The search for professional digital competence in Swedish teacher education policy—A content analysis of the prerequisites for teacher educators’ dual didactic task

The search for professional digital competence in Swedish teacher education policy—A content analysis of the prerequisites for teacher educators’ dual didactic task

Developing a Context- and Subject-Specific Professional Digital Competence Framework for Beginning English Language Teachers in Hong Kong

Developing a Context- and Subject-Specific Professional Digital Competence Framework for Beginning English Language Teachers in Hong Kong

Investigating student teachers’ responses to including sustainable development as part of their professional digital competence development

ABSTRACT This article puts forward the case for the inclusion of sustainability as an element of teachers’ professional digital competence. Following this, the article explores student teachers’ reaction to a course on digital technologies and sustainability. An online survey was used to record the student teachers’ reactions to the course and how they felt its content would influence their future actions. The student teachers had limited prior knowledge of the topic, but almost all acknowledged its importance, particularly in raising their awareness of global inequality. The student teachers reported they would change their purchasing habits, although some acknowledged that it would be difficult. Most believed it would influence their teaching, but perceived curriculum demands and school expectations tempered their expectations of what they believed they could achieve.

Utvikling av profesjonskompetanse: Estetiske læreprosesser i yrkesfaglærerutdanning – En utforskende kvalitativ studie av norske yrkesfaglærerstudenters erfaringer med estetiske læreprosesser i en digital kontekst

The purpose of this study was to explore how experiences with aesthetic learning processes in vocational teacher education contribute to developing professional competence. This is grounded in theories of holistic experience, creative processes, and the development of professional digital competence. Qualitative data for this exploratory case study was generated in two focus group interviews among 10 teacher students in vocational teacher education, 2nd year of study. Using a thematic content analysis three categories emerged: ‘Encounter and courage’, ‘Creativity and images’, and ‘Digital competence and multimodality’. The results show that the students’ encounter with the aesthetic learning process leads to exploratory and critical thinking with an aesthetic quality. Taking part in this aesthetic learning process has led to experiences with holistic learning and in particular the emotional aspect of learning related.

Algorithmic futures: an analysis of teacher professional digital competence frameworks through an algorithm literacy lens

ABSTRACT Algorithmic systems shape every aspect of our daily lives and impact our perceptions of the world. The ubiquity and profound impact of algorithms mean that algorithm literacy—awareness and knowledge of algorithm use, and the ability to evaluate algorithms critically and exercise agency when engaging with algorithmic systems—is a vital competence for navigating life in the 21st century. Professional digital competence (PDC) frameworks for teachers include technological, pedagogical, and social competence areas and are intended to illustrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes for digitally competent teachers. Using document analysis, we undertook a systematised review and evaluation of selected PDC frameworks through the lens of algorithm literacy. This analysis demonstrated that although some aspects of algorithm literacy could be inferred within the PDC frameworks analysed, there is a need for further explicit integration. Just as the DigComp framework for citizens has been updated to recognise the vital importance of understanding algorithmic systems’ impact, so should PDC frameworks be revised. Recommendations are provided for incorporating understandings of algorithmic governance and bias and ensuring digital Bildung development in PDC frameworks. Implications for teacher education programmes are also discussed.

Professional Digital Competence: Definition, Frameworks, Measurement, and Gender Differences: A Systematic Literature Review

In the current context of increasing digitization, professionals need to be digitally competent. In addition, women’s low participation in the technology field indicates the persistence of a digital gender gap in the economic and social spheres. A key aspect to help reducing digital inequality is the role that the digital competence (DC) plays in the professional development of women, allowing them to enter to a job market still coped by men. The current systematic literature review, following the PRISMA protocol, analyzes the existing definitions of professional DC, the frameworks used to develop it at the workplace, and the gender differences observed. Four main ideas emerge from the review of the 41 selected articles: (1) the need of an enabling professional DC definition to help understand how it operates specifically in professional environments; (2) the expanding role of the DigComp framework to carry out initiatives for assessing, training, developing, advising, or certifying digital competence in professional environments; (3) the identification of seven key dimensions of professional DC; and (4) the need of future studies that go further in the measurement of women’s professional DC, as a response of the lack of data about gender differences in this field. Although the limitations of a systematic literature review, such as publications and database bias, these results are aimed at fostering a shared definition and framework of professional DC that standardizes the measurement and development of this competence, allowing workers, and women in particular, to adapt to the digital transformation, assuring equal access to qualified jobs.

Early and late adopter effects between schools in a one-to-one computer initiative

Although there are numerous studies on the development of teachers’ professional digital competence, only a few have studied the intermediate levels of the education system and its impact over time. A structural merger of three Norwegian municipalities allowed for a natural field experiment involving two school districts. In the present study, we explored potential differences in early and late adopter effects on teachers from school districts. Survey data were collected to assess teacher-level perceptions of organisational support and access to collaborative professional communities. Teachers also rated themselves according to the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework for digital competence and answered questions to assess their level of student-centred teaching beliefs. The data were analysed using Structural Equation Model (SEM) to explore associations between study variables and patterns of differences between school districts. The results indicate that municipality- or school district-level initiatives have influenced the behaviour of school management and in the teacher community, and possibly result in a more student-centred teaching style in the classroom. The present paper adds new insights into how teachers and schools are influenced by the intermediate levels of the education system. The findings from our study may thus be of interest to researchers exploring the professional development of digital competence for teachers and schools. Moreover, as we highlight how school districts approach and support schools in the implementation of one-to-one coverage of digital devices in schools, we bring updated knowledge to this research field.