Understanding teaching professionals' digital competence : What do PIAAC and TALIS reveal about technology-related skills, attitudes, and knowledge?

Abstract

In an ever-evolving technological landscape that challenges teaching professionals' digital competence, this study complements previous studies by providing an overall picture of teaching professionals' digital competence. We employed regression models on two large-scale assessment data sets on teachers from 11 countries—namely, the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS; n = 50,800) and the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC; n = 2590)—to investigate through the theoretical lens of digital competence how teaching professionals' skills, attitudes and knowledge distribute and relate, and how they are associated with personal and contextual factors. Our results found notable variation in teaching professionals' skills and knowledge but less variety in attitudes. The respondents generally recognised the importance of digital technologies in teaching regardless of their background. Older professionals often showed weak skills, but they also recognised the need for professional development in using digital technologies. An important result of this study is a better understanding of digital competence from the teaching professional's perspective. Our findings contribute to further developing theories and practices related to teaching professionals' skills, attitudes and knowledge.