Digital Teaching Competence Research Articles

Teacher competency development model of higher vocational schools in Shandong province, China

Teacher competency is fundamental to successful vocational education reforms and quality enhancement. The rapid economic transformation and industrial upgrading in Shandong Province require highly skilled talents, prompting the implementation of modern vocational education (MVE) reform. However, the current competency of vocational teachers (VTs) often falls short of MVE standards, and there is an urgent need for a development model suitable for regional characteristics as a guide. In this study, we aim to assess the current state of VT competency development in Shandong Province and propose an integrated competency development model tailored to its specific needs. Our research employed a mixed-methods design, incorporating a cross-sectional survey of 280 VTs and 140 administrators and semi-structured interviews with management personnel. We conducted the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on a comprehensive survey questionnaire and identified six key determinants of VT competency development. Based on these findings and expert interviews, we developed an integrated competency development model, comprising the teacher’s personal qualities and educational philosophy, educational technology competence, digital teaching competence, social policy, professional identity, and school culture and support. This model offers practical implications for designing effective teacher training programs and establishing supportive institutional environments, ultimately aiming to enhance the quality of vocational education through improved teacher competency.

Digital teaching competence of higher education professors: self-perception study in an Ecuadorian university

Background Teaching professionalization aimed at the digital transformation of educational scenarios and training processes for students in contemporary higher education requires the mastery of digital competence by the teaching staff. The objectives of the study were to analyze the self-perceived level of digital teaching competence (DTC) of the faculty of the Technical University of Manabí (UTM), Ecuador, and to establish the relationship between age, sex, and academic profile variables with digital teaching competence. Methods A quantitative methodological approach was adopted to develop a descriptive-correlational field study with a non-experimental design. The participants were 277 professors, selected through non-probabilistic and voluntary sampling, who completed the DigCompEdu Check-In questionnaire sent by e-mail. Results The data revealed that the “integrator” and “expert” categories achieved high levels in all competencies. In particular, 48.74% of the participants were placed in the integrator category in the competence of facilitating skills, while 46.21% positioned themselves as integrators in the competence of evaluation and feedback. Additionally, a significant difference was found in the pedagogy variable in the interaction. Conclusions It is concluded that the competences self-perceived by the professors are within the intermediate categories such as integrator and expert. Likewise, the age, sex, and academic profile variables differ in the digital pedagogy level, which produces an inconsistent relationship, with the exception of the variable evaluates and provides feedback, where it was significant.

Analysis of digital capital for social inclusion in educational context

AbstractThis paper focuses on one of the aspects most investigated and monitored in recent years by the Digital Economy and Society Index on the digitisation process in Europe—human capital, with an in‐depth focus on primary school teachers. Human capital is one dimension underlying school digital capital, closely related to integrating digital into daily practices. Starting from this framework, the paper will present the results of a survey on the digital competencies of teachers from five European countries (Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Romania and Poland), carried out in the framework of the European project Erasmus+ CAVE (Communication and Visual Education in homeschooling). This survey is preparatory to a training intervention and didactic experimentation on digital education, foreseen in the project, and used as a theoretical framework of reference for the DigCompEdu survey, promoted by the European Commission. The teachers' profiles, as the output of the research, will be able to give stakeholders a picture of the investment of schools and teachers, in terms of the application of digital competencies on different educational processes: classroom teaching, assessment, professional training, preparation of teaching materials for the lesson and the implementation of competencies, including digital ones, of students.

Development of a digital profile of a university teacher

Currently, digitalization is a cross-cutting business process in the higher education system. Digital transformation has affected both the functioning of the higher education system in general and the activities of each university and participants in the educational process in particular.An important problem is the adaptation of teachers to a dynamically changing digital environment, taking into account the requirements for the level of digital competencies resulting from the specifics of the digital environment, and the already existing level of digital literacy of the teacher. In a modern university, a teacher is a multifunctional subject who performs educational, methodological, research, and administrative tasks, the solution of which is often associated with working in the digital environment of an educational organization.The article presents a model of the digital environment of a university with an emphasis on human resources and digital services is presented, which allows the development of a policy for managing changes and transformation processes in universities. The thesis that the digital environment determines the level of requirements for the digital competencies of teachers is substantiated.The authors propose an evaluation method for the teacher’s digital literacy, which makes it possible to develop the teacher’s digital profile considering the educational, methodological, administrative, and research activities.

Digital teaching competence of teachers in the public elementary schools of Sta. Cruz district

Digital teaching competence of teachers in the public elementary schools of Sta. Cruz district

Factors influencing sedentary behavior and its impact on early childhood psychomotor skills

Sedentary behavior can negatively impact motor and cognitive coordination in early childhood. This study explores the factors that influence sedentary behavior on early childhood psychomotor development. This research method uses a quantitative approach with a survey design and involves a sample of 400 early childhood education teachers. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed using Google Forms. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive and inferential statistics with the Partial Least Square (PLS) approach. The results of the analysis show that the factors of physical activity (β = -0.222), parental digital understanding (β = -0.109), physical activity support facilities (β = -0.080), parental involvement (β = -0.094), teacher competence (β = -0.128), and teacher digital competence (β = -0.235) have a negative correlation with sedentary behavior of early childhood, which means that the higher the factor, the lower the sedentary behavior. Sedentary behavior negatively affects motor coordination (β = -0.552) and child psychology (β = -0.545) increasing the risk of psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, early childhood characteristics and technology did not have a major influence on early childhood sedentary behavior. The importance of awareness of sedentary behavior requires the creation of a physical activity program for children that involves parents. Keywords: sedentary behavior, psychomotor development, early childhood, early childhood education.

Diagnosis of TPACK in Elementary School Teachers: A Case Study in the Colombian Caribbean

Numerous studies support that the development of digital teaching competence is essential in 21st century schools. This paper examines Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) to gain a deeper understanding of ICT integration in teaching. By assessing TPACK, we uncover opportunities to enhance teacher competencies and, consequently, improve student learning. This research evaluated the initial TPACK of primary school teachers from a public school in the Colombian Caribbean. Eight teachers participated in a professional development program based on the Lesson Study (LS) methodology. Adopting an interpretive qualitative approach and a case study for the operational analysis of LS, the findings indicate that teachers, in self-reports and performance-based assessments, highlight high competence in the PK, CK, and PCK domains. This demonstrates their ability to select and adapt effective teaching strategies. They excel in guiding learning and understanding academic content, showcasing a remarkable capacity to adapt to the diverse socioeconomic realities of their students. However, these findings also highlight areas for improvement in developing the technological components of TPACK, specifically TK, TPK, TCK, TPCK, and XK.

Digital Teaching Competence and Foreign Language Learning in Students of a National University in Lima

The research shows the relationship between digital teaching competence and foreign language learning in students at a national university from Lima. It is a non-experimental descriptive study with a cross-sectional correlational design, applied to a sample of 151 students from Enrique Guzmán y Valle National University of Education. To collect data for the first variable, it was built a questionnaire with the response parameters of the Likert scale. Based on the Cronbach's Alpha test, this instrument reached a reliability index of 0,780. For the second variable, a test was applied and the reliability level was measured through the Kuder-Richardson coefficient, showing an index of 0,865, so it is inferred that these instruments had a high level of reliability. About the general hypothesis, Spearman's correlation coefficient was 0,705, a high positive correlation. The investigation result allows to confirm that there is a direct and significant association between teaching digital competence and foreign language learning, that is, the higher the level of teaching digital competence, the better the learning achievements of the students.

"DIGITAL" TEACHER: NEW ROLES, FUNCTIONS AND COMPETENCES

Background. The development of digital technologies is one of the priority tasks of modern education, a crucial step in improving the quality of learning and teaching and transforming the role of the teacher in the conditions of digitalisation of education. The purpose of the research presented in the article is to describe the qualitative changes in the professional activity of teachers and to consider the "digital" roles and digital competence of teachers based on the data of questionnaire survey of teachers working in profile psycho-pedagogical classes in the city of Tula and Tula region. Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the empirical study is the competence approach, in particular, digital competence. The main conceptual documents regulating the development of digital education are the national programme "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation" and the priority project "Modern Digital Educational Environment in the Russian Federation". In the course of the empirical study, the questionnaire method was applied. Results. Theoretical analysis allowed us to state that in modern conditions the professional activity of a teacher undergoes qualitative changes. In the conditions of digitalisation of education, the school needs a multi-profile professional with digital literacy and competence. The questionnaire survey of teachers working in psycho-pedagogical classes conducted in the course of the empirical study revealed the teachers' adherence to the traditional roles of a mentor and an organiser of the learning process and the formation of competencies in the field of integrative activity (a teacher is an integrator of students' knowledge, skills and abilities). The presented analytical and empirical data are based on modern Russian and foreign experience and take into account the specifics of the Tula region.

Teaching in a collaborative mathematic learning activity with and without a social robot

AbstractThere is a growing interest in whether social robots, which are embodied and exhibit human-like behaviour, can be used for teaching and learning. Still, very few studies focus on the teacher’s role. This study focuses on how a teacher acted in a learning-by-teaching activity with 20 children. In this small-scale field experiment, the teacher’s interactions and teaching actions were observed when the teacher scaffolded a learning activity where children played a collaborative digital mathematics game to strengthen their mathematical reasoning and conceptual understanding of arithmetic. When playing, the children were acting as tutors for a tutee, according to the learning-by-teaching principle. In one scenario, the tutee was a younger child; in the other, the tutee was a social robot. Twenty 30-minute game-playing sessions are observed, video-recorded, and transcribed. The study explores the teacher’s interactions and teaching actions in the two scenarios and discusses the results from the perspective of the teacher’s role, social norms, and teacher digital competence. The interaction and thematic analyses show similarities and characteristic differences in the teacher’s interaction patterns in the two scenarios. The teaching actions are similar on a structural level and differ regarding the types and distribution of teaching actions. In the child-child scenario, the teacher directs most teaching actions to both players, and the actions are didactic (mathematical) scaffolding. In contrast, in the child-robot scenario, the teacher only addresses the tutor, and the scaffolding is socially oriented. Implications for a teaching practice involving social robots as learning companions are discussed regarding teachers’ presence and participation, types of social robot knowledge that go beyond digital competence, and new challenges introduced by using social robots as learning companions in the classroom. The study contributes new insights into the teacher’s role and actions when teaching with a social robot in a collaborative learning situation, which is relevant for educational research and teaching practice.

An Overview of the Digital Competencies of Teachers in the Hungarian Secondary Agricultural Vocational Training System

AbstractIn contemporary times, possessing digital competence encompasses not only access to information and communication technologies (ICT) and their utilization, but also the acquisition of suitable knowledge and skills related to them. When it comes to the digital competencies of educators, studies in this field regularly report on the available professional development opportunities, but less attention is given to the educators’ personal attitudes. In our viewpoint, the success of the digital competence development process greatly hinges on realistic and effective teacher self-reflection. Within this framework, digital competence could become an essential component of teacher self-evaluation and emerge as a genuine demand within the predominantly supply-driven professional development market. Based on this observation, we determined to approach 400 instructors teaching at agricultural vocational schools and encourage them to thoughtfully contemplate their own skills and attitudes through our questionnaire. The objective of this exploratory research was to examine the current state of digital competence and future development possibilities among educators, specifically within the context of agricultural education. Moreover, it aimed to identify the actual needs of teachers. The research findings indicate that teachers engaged in Hungarian agricultural vocational education expressed a more positive view of their digital competence than anticipated. Concurrently, infrastructure gaps and developmental directions came to light. Among the novel findings of our research is the fact that real self-reflection is an essential attribute of the teaching career and plays an important role in the development of competences. In this context, a key finding of the research is that respondents strongly expressed their need for subject-specific and didactically-based, thematic and free workshops/courses to learn about the functioning of new ICT tools and platforms and their classroom applications.

Innovative educational practices through the use of ICT in the teaching-learning process: A diagnostic study

The article presents the main results of the diagnosis carried out by students and teachers of the Digital Educational Competences program of the Instituto Superior Espíritu Santo, on the teaching-learning process in relation to innovative educational practices and the creative and efficient use of ICT. The research was based on the theoretical references related to educational innovation and technological resources, and on the data obtained from the research instruments applied to teachers, students and directors of Basic Education; which allowed the analysis and understanding of the problem and to establish as a study objective to determine the current state of the teaching-learning process in relation to the creative and efficient use of ICT and innovation in educational institutions in the city of Guayaquil. A qualitative methodology is used and an exploratory and hermeneutic type of research is developed based on the emergent paradigm, which allows the subjects of the study to actively participate in the research process; the theoretical methods used are analysis-synthesis and inductive-deductive; within the empirical methods, observation, interview and survey are used; and in the processing of the survey results, the percentage analysis is used. The main results are related to the lack of adequate technological resources and insufficient access to the Internet, which exacerbates the existing disparities in education; the low development of digital competencies of teachers and the resistance to change that hinders the adoption of new digital tools and innovative practices in the classroom.

Evaluating Digital Competence in Graduate-Level Chinese International Education Programs: A Dual Perspective on Teacher Needs and Training Models

This paper employs a mixed research methodology, integrating a questionnaire survey and sample interviews, to assess the current state of digital competence and identify the factors influencing it among international Chinese pre-service teachers. Building upon the authoritative model framework, this study developed a questionnaire on the digital competence of international Chinese pre-service teachers and collected data from 100 master candidates of international Chinese language education from leading domestic universities in China. Upon analysis of the data, it was determined that the digital competence of international Chinese pre-service teachers is currently satisfactory overall, although there is a notable discrepancy in development. In particular, competences related to digital teaching, research, and pedagogical innovation are less developed. The training experience of international Chinese pre-service teachers has a significant correlation with their digital competence. However, the experience of international Chinese teaching does not have a significant effect on their digital competence, nor does it have a significant effect on their digital teaching competence or digital pedagogical innovation competence. This study identifies the reasons for this and proposes to refine the training system for digital competence, develop and optimize shared digital resource repositories, and enhance the capacity for innovation in pedagogical practice.

HeutagogyBased E-Training: Internship Teacher Digital Competence for an Equitable Global Civilization

The development of the digital transformation era has had a major influence on the current occupationalfields. The challenges faced by the next generation of the nation are getting bigger; this is also felt by internship teachers (teacher training) who carry out school field introduction programsfrom universities. Seeing the low output to be able to get the opportunity to become a teacher with a bachelor's degree in educationis the main concern of inequitableglobal civilization. The aim of the research is to focus on knowing the needs of internship teachers related to digital competence training before they carry out the school field introduction program. The research method used is a mixed method with a total of 160 active students at Brawijaya University who will become internship teachers. The results of the study reveal that the need for the aspect of gaining new competencies is 85%, the development of digital competencies is very high, especially in the aspect of integrating digital pedagogy, and the knowledge aspect is 65% for increasing heutagogy-basede-training experiences. This study concludes that the need for internship teachers for the existence of heutagogy-basede-training is very much needed to realize an equitable global civilization in the era of digital transformation.

Exploring pre-service English teachers’ digital competence in creating interactive instructional materials

The Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu) is critical in 21st-century education, which helps educators teach digital literacy to students. However, published empirical evidence regarding pre-service English teachers’ competence in creating interactive instructional materials with specific software applications remains scarce. This paper is grounded on the implementation of digital instructional courses at an Indonesian state university, aiming at developing pre-service EFL teachers’ digital competencies in designing interactive instructional materials using PowerPoint, Audacity, CapCut, Inknoe ClassPoint, Filmora, the Internet, and Canva (hereafter PACIFIC). The paper describes the pre-service English teachers’ self-reported abilities and challenges they encountered in designing the PACIFIC-based interactive teaching materials after completing these courses. Guided by the DigCompEdu framework, the primary data from six focus group interviews with a total number of 30 participants were analyzed by using thematic analysis. The study indicates that pre-service EFL teachers reported an adequate level of competencies in designing digital interactive instructional materials in four aspects of the DigCompEdu framework. They also reported several challenges encountered while creating the teaching materials, which mostly related to resources, such as internet connectivity and subscription access to the PACIFIC software. These findings highlight the critical need for better resource allocation and support to improve pre-service EFL teachers’ digital literacy and performance in designing digital teaching materials.

Research Trends in Teacher Digital Competencies: A Bibliometric Review

Teacher digital competence (TDC) is a pivotal skill in 21st-century education, essential for addressing the extensive educational demands of the digital age and technological advancements. This study aims to investigate and evaluate research trends in teacher digital competency from 2013 to 2023 using descriptive bibliometric analysis. Researchers utilized the Scopus database for data collection, following a four-stage process to obtain 235 publications. These publications were then analyzed using the VOS Viewer software. The findings of this study are as follows: 1) The research trend on TDC has shown a continuous increase from 2013 to 2020; 2) Citation trends peaked in 2018, with the work of Gudmundsdottir and Hatlevik (2018) being the most frequently cited; 3) Spain emerged as the leading country in this field, with 100 publications and five international collaborations; 4) Research on teacher digital competence primarily focuses on digital competence itself, higher education, ICT, digital technology, digital e-learning, personnel training, educational technology, digital devices, digital resources, teaching and learning, motivation, digital skills, digital literacy, TPACK, information and communication technologies, professional development, professional digital competence, self-assessment, education, and teacher professional development. Recent themes such as digital teaching competence, improvement, and digital tools are recommended for further research on teacher digital competence.

Formation of Digital Competence of Teachers in Modern Conditions

The article addresses the pressing issue of developing digital competence among educators, its role in the educational process, and its impact on learning efficiency in modern conditions. It analyzes key aspects of the digital transformation of education and provides strategies and methods for the effective implementation of digital technologies in the learning process. The article emphasizes the need to consider the rapid development of information technologies and their integration into the educational process to ensure quality training of specialists. It highlights the main obstacles educators face when mastering digital tools and offers ways to overcome them. It points out that digital competence entails not only knowledge of technologies but also the ability to effectively use them to solve tasks and achieve goals in the educational process. This also includes the ability to adapt to changes and use technologies to enhance the quality of education. The article is based on the successful experience of implementing digital tools in the educational process and highlights the key challenges and obstacles faced by Ukrainian educators in wartime conditions. It notes that the development of digital competence results from a combination of knowledge and technological skills, understanding the methodological opportunities offered by technological resources, and attitudes towards using information technologies to transform and improve the quality of education. Implementing information technologies in the educational process makes no sense if the educator does not have a positive attitude towards the benefits and potential these technologies hold. The article is aimed at educational practitioners, researchers, and administrators interested in optimizing the learning process through the use of modern digital technologies and the development of digital skills among educators and students. In conclusion, the authors emphasize the importance of a modern approach to the professional development of educators in the context of the digital transformation of education, as educators need to develop their digital competence to effectively use innovations and technologies.

Digital Competences in Cybersecurity of Teachers in Training

The authors have developed a psychometric instrument with the purpose of assessing the digital competencies of teachers in aspects of cybersecurity. From the collection of data, different secondary objectives were carried out: (1) identify if there were significant differences regarding gender; (2) understand if there are significant differences based on various actions (use of different operating systems, two-step authentication, use of different passwords for applications and profiles), for each gender; (3) identify if the frequency of updating of passwords in LMS, emails, RRSS and apps correlate with the digital competencies of teachers in training, for each gender. For this purpose, an ex post facto ad hoc design was used based on a sample of 220 students enrolled in a Primary Education and Early Childhood Education course at the University of Malaga (Spain). The results show that the digital skills of these teachers of the future are at a low level, and that they find it hard to navigate their way in this new world. It is also concluded that there are significant differences with respect to gender in terms of various cybersecurity actions (use of the Mac operating system; two-step authentication). In addition, it was found that the frequency of updating passwords in LMS, emails, RRSS and apps affects the competences of the teachers in training in security and prevention, in both genders.

Bridging the digital divide: gender and learning mode impacts on pre-service teacher digital competence and online engagement

ABSTRACT Digital technology literacy, attitude, efficacy, and online engagement are important for effective teaching in a contemporary world. This study examines the connections between pre-service teachers’ (PST) self-assessed digital technology literacy, attitudes, self-efficacy, and engagement in online learning. It also explores how these aspects relate to their gender, age, and learning mode. A total of 110 first year PSTs responded to an online survey consisting of Likert scale questions and demographic information. These PSTs can access various study options, including online, on-campus, and a mixture of both. First, a series of one-way analyses of variance was conducted to evaluate the relationship between age range, gender, mode of study and the different constructs. Next, Post Hoc tests were conducted to evaluate pairwise differences among the significant means. The study found significant differences in PSTs’ digital literacy based on gender, attitude, and engagement in online learning. It suggests that teacher education should adopt tailored strategies to address these technology skill gaps. Personalised support for PSTs could improve their digital literacy and confidence in using technology for teaching. The implications for course and programme design in teacher education are also explored.

Digitális kihívások a felsőoktatásban: Az NKE oktatóinak digitális készségeinek kvantitatív vizsgálata

The information society is not only transforming the process of education but also creating new positions and challenges in the labour market, and education must prepare for this. Research shows that the success of education depends mostly on teachers (Mourshed, Chijoka and Barber 2010). In this study, we investigate the digital competence of teachers at Ludovika University of Public Service (hereinafter: LUPC) (N=824). For the quantitative research, we used the DigCompEdu questionnaire. The level of digital competence of the teachers is assessed based on their own self-assessment. We assume that although their digital competences need improvement, but their motivation to use digital technologies in the classroom is positive. The instructors scored higher points in the areas of digital resource management, professional engagement and teaching & learning but they scored the lowest in the area of assessment.