Digital Innovation in Language Teaching—Analysis of the Digital Competence of Teachers according to the DigCompEdu Framework

Abstract

The utilization of technology in the process of teaching and learning, as well as the influence of the COVID-19 crisis on education, are widely recognized and interconnected factors. This investigation is primarily focused on a group of formal education teachers who have received little attention to date, teachers from Official Language Schools, which are a part of the Special Regime Education system of Andalucía, a southern region of Spain, which provides foreign language education. Specifically, we aim to assess their level of digital proficiency in relation to their experience and use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the classroom. We also analyze how the March 2020 lockdown impacted their confidence levels in utilizing ICT in their teaching practices. One hundred and four teachers took part in the study and answered the DigCompEdu check-in questionnaire. The findings indicate that teachers’ overall self-assessment of their digital competence is low, with particular attention needed in the least developed areas, which is the facilitation of digital proficiency to students. Additionally, there are noteworthy differences in the variables of ICT experience and confidence. For example, the amount of time spent utilizing ICT in teaching does not necessarily correlate with teaching proficiency. Based on these results, we discuss potential strategies for enhancing digital competence in this educational group and propose some curriculum content for teacher training in digital competence.

Automated Monitoring of Human–Computer Interaction for Assessing Teachers’ Digital Competence Based on LMS Data Extraction

“…Digital competence in educators ranges from basic to intermediate, showing low abilities in matters of personalizing students' learning experiences, and standing out in the creation and management of digital resources [60]. Other authors [44,58] reach similar conclusions when determining the level of digital competence of teachers in higher education; statistical analysis shows that most educators display low to medium-low levels of digital competence. These results correlate with the instrumental competencies necessary to interact with an LMS.…”

“…Different authors support the need to assess the skills that teachers demonstrate when interacting with digital tools. While some authors propose models for assessing teachers during class situations [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ], a different set of authors opt to use digital competency assessment frameworks [ 17 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 47 ].…”

“…works propose a quantitative methodology for the definition of tests or questionnaires, where the most commonly used framework is DigCompEdu [17,[41][42][43][44][45][46]. These authors share the goal of creating a tool capable of assessing teachers' digital competence, as defined in the European framework DigCompEdu [11].…”

“…Finally, a third group of authors base the evaluation of teachers’ digital competence on the analysis of indicators according to pre-established criteria in an assessment framework. According to the analysis conducted by Sillat et al [ 40 ], a large number of these works propose a quantitative methodology for the definition of tests or questionnaires, where the most commonly used framework is DigCompEdu [ 17 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. These authors share the goal of creating a tool capable of assessing teachers’ digital competence, as defined in the European framework DigCompEdu [ 11 ].…”

Digital competences of teachers in Lebanon: a comparison of teachers’ competences to educational standards

“…Again, the indicator that is least met by schoolteachers' practice is promoting learners' communication with peers and with teachers through collaborative activities. Obviously, there is much need for training to schoolteachers in using digital tools and resources to promote collaboration in the learning process, which is confirmed by several studies (García-Valcárcel & Mena, 2016;Reisoğlu & Çebi, 2020;Rubio-Gragera et al, 2023).…”