Investigating English language teachers’ digital competence levels in some Nam Dinh high schools = Khảo sát năng lực số của giáo viên tiếng anh tại một số trường trung học phổ thông ở Nam Định

Tóm tắt

This study examines levels of digital competence of 120 high school teachers in Nam Dinh, Vietnam, amidst the growing imperative for technology integration in education. By focusing on an under-researched population, it not only fills a significant gap in the literature but also contributes valuable insights for designing inclusive and targeted digital training programs. Survey research was employed to collect data through a questionnaire grounded in the European DigCompEdu framework (European Commission, 2017), aiming to assess teachers’ proficiency across six key areas of digital competence and to further investigate the influence of age and gender on these competencies. Findings reveal that while the majority of participants demonstrate competence ranging from Exploration (A2) to Integration (B1) levels, disparities exist across specific domains. Notably, teachers exhibit greater proficiency in "Empowering Learners," effectively leveraging digital tools to foster student engagement and interaction. Conversely, the "Assessment" area reveals the lowest proficiency, indicating challenges in utilizing technology for monitoring student progress and providing feedback. Furthermore, while age did not significantly impact digital competence, gender emerged as a factor, with male teachers demonstrating a greater inclination towards exploring technological integration and actively seeking to upskill their digital competence. These findings highlight the growing necessity of focused professional development programs to improve teachers' digital proficiency, especially in assessment procedures, with an emphasis on motivating female educators to adopt and apply technology in their teaching methods. Ultimately, this study recommends that future research explore the underlying factors contributing to the observed gender disparity and investigate the efficacy of tailored interventions designed to bridge this gap.