Perceptions of digital competence in learning and teaching English in the context of online education

Gulnara M. Kassymova; Saule B. Tulepova; Madina B. Bekturova

doi:10.30935/cedtech/12598

Gulnara M. Kassymova ¹, Saule B. Tulepova ¹ ^* , Madina B. Bekturova ²

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CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article No: ep396

https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/12598

Submitted: 29 May 2022, Published Online: 02 November 2022

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Abstract

Digital competence has become a crucial capability in the learning process, in the working place, and in personal communication. The aim of the article is to explore master students’ perceptions of their digital competence by identifying frequency, expertise, and satisfaction in using information communication technologies (ICT) in their learning process when studying at university and teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) in the context of online education. The sample comprised 49 master students who participated in distant evening classes at a private university in Kazakhstan while working simultaneously as teachers of English in various educational institutions during the day. Master students’ perceptions of digital competence is one of the approaches to reveal the gaps in students’ digital competence development necessary for learning and teaching EFL online. The main research tool for data collection was the online survey allowing the master students to measure their level of digital competence. Evident from the results, the majority of respondents are digitally competent; yet there is a cohort of master students who scored low on ICT skills needed for teaching and admitted the necessity of improvement. Also, according to the findings, the respondents’ frequency, expertise, and satisfaction level by their digital competence needed in the learning is higher than that in teaching. This can also imply that even though the frequency and expertise in using digital technologies for learning contributes to the development of the expertise in using them for conducting their own classes, master students need special training on the use of ICT for pedagogical purposes.

Keywords: perceptions, digital competence, ICT, learning, teaching, EFL, online

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Citation

Kassymova, G. M., Tulepova, S. B., & Bekturova, M. B. (2023). Perceptions of digital competence in learning and teaching English in the context of online education. Contemporary Educational Technology, 15(1), ep396. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/12598

Kassymova, G. M., Tulepova, S. B., and Bekturova, M. B. (2023). Perceptions of digital competence in learning and teaching English in the context of online education. Contemporary Educational Technology, 15(1), ep396. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/12598

Kassymova GM, Tulepova SB, Bekturova MB. Perceptions of digital competence in learning and teaching English in the context of online education. CONT ED TECHNOLOGY. 2023;15(1), ep396. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/12598

Kassymova, Gulnara M., Saule B. Tulepova, and Madina B. Bekturova. "Perceptions of digital competence in learning and teaching English in the context of online education". Contemporary Educational Technology 2023 15 no. 1 (2023): ep396. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/12598

Kassymova, Gulnara M. et al. "Perceptions of digital competence in learning and teaching English in the context of online education". Contemporary Educational Technology, vol. 15, no. 1, 2023, ep396. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/12598

Kassymova GM, Tulepova SB, Bekturova MB. Perceptions of digital competence in learning and teaching English in the context of online education. CONT ED TECHNOLOGY. 2023;15(1):ep396. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/12598