Teachers’ digital competences in higher education in Portugal and Spain

Sara Dias-Trindade; José António Moreira; Juan Gabriel García Huertas; Pablo Garrido Pintado; Ana Mas Miguel

doi:10.30935/cedtech/13604

Sara Dias-Trindade ¹ ² ^* , José António Moreira ² ³, Juan Gabriel García Huertas ⁴, Pablo Garrido Pintado ⁵, Ana Mas Miguel ⁴

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CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 4, Article No: ep463

https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13604

Submitted: 02 May 2023, Published Online: 22 August 2023

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Abstract

The potential of DTIC has brought new and emerging challenges to teachers, making it essential to acquire digital competences, especially in virtual learning environments and online technologies. In this sense, based on the DigCompEdu CheckIn self-assessment questionnaire, validated for the Portuguese population by earlier studies, this research aims to identify the most fragile and robust areas of digital competences of Portuguese and Spanish university teachers. The quantitative methodological approach emphasizes teachers’ perception of their digital competences in three dimensions: teachers’ professional competences, teachers’ pedagogical competences and students’ competences and involved 347 teachers from Portugal and Spain. The results show that teachers of the two institutions have an overall moderate level of digital proficiency–level B1 and B2–and that the differences encountered between Portuguese and Spanish teachers (for example, Portuguese teachers have level A2 in area 4–assessment–, while Spanish teachers are already at level B2) highlight the need to invest in specific training that may address specific frailties, and therefore allow for the promotion of their digital competences. Results relating to teaching experience and age show that there is no direct relation between either factor or being digitally competent. Regarding gender, results reveal that men had slightly better results than women. Overall, what the results show is the need for teachers to increase the level of digital competence through specific training, prepared according to the specificities of each institution, and the importance of developing public policies that prepare teachers for a more digital education.

Keywords: digital technologies, digital competence, higher education, teacher training, DigCompEdu

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Citation

Dias-Trindade, S., Moreira, J. A., García Huertas, J. G., Garrido Pintado, P., & Mas Miguel, A. (2023). Teachers’ digital competences in higher education in Portugal and Spain. Contemporary Educational Technology, 15(4), ep463. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13604

Dias-Trindade, S., Moreira, J. A., García Huertas, J. G., Garrido Pintado, P., and Mas Miguel, A. (2023). Teachers’ digital competences in higher education in Portugal and Spain. Contemporary Educational Technology, 15(4), ep463. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13604

Dias-Trindade S, Moreira JA, García Huertas JG, Garrido Pintado P, Mas Miguel A. Teachers’ digital competences in higher education in Portugal and Spain. CONT ED TECHNOLOGY. 2023;15(4), ep463. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13604

Dias-Trindade, Sara, José António Moreira, Juan Gabriel García Huertas, Pablo Garrido Pintado, and Ana Mas Miguel. "Teachers’ digital competences in higher education in Portugal and Spain". Contemporary Educational Technology 2023 15 no. 4 (2023): ep463. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13604

Dias-Trindade, Sara et al. "Teachers’ digital competences in higher education in Portugal and Spain". Contemporary Educational Technology, vol. 15, no. 4, 2023, ep463. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13604

Dias-Trindade S, Moreira JA, García Huertas JG, Garrido Pintado P, Mas Miguel A. Teachers’ digital competences in higher education in Portugal and Spain. CONT ED TECHNOLOGY. 2023;15(4):ep463. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/13604