Exploring the educational digital landscape in the Dominican Republic: a comparative study of competencies in different stages and socio-digital environments

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to have a more holistic and complete vision of the digital competencies of the three main agents of the teaching–learning process (teachers, students and parents) of all educational stages, as well as the incidence of gender, territory and access to technological resources and the Internet at home. A non-quantitative and non-experimental design was used through surveys, with non-probabilistic sampling by intention and snowball method, and a sample of 1149 participants. The results show significant differences between the groups studied in the stages of Primary and Secondary Education, but not in Early Childhood Education and Higher Education, specifically between the student–teacher group, as well as for the teacher-parent group, with higher scores for teachers. In addition, a progressive increase in digital competencies was evident from Primary Education to Higher Education in students, similar in teachers but disparate in the group of parents, as well as gender and territorial disparities according to access to digital resources and the Internet at home. The results highlight the need to effectively integrate technology into the school curriculum from the earliest educational stages, as well as to provide continuous training to those groups whose skills require improvement, including subsidy initiatives for low-income families, or programs of access to computers, digital resources and the Internet in rural areas.