Digital competence

The coronavirus pandemic affected education enormously, and despite numerous previous efforts to achieve digitalization, virtual teaching revealed deficiencies in both the EFL teachers’ digital competence and in the peripheral use of Information and communication technologies (ICTs). This study focused on a sample group to analyze the relationship between the implementation of this model and the pre-pandemic digital approach in order to identify deficiencies that need to be strengthened to achieve increasingly effective integration of blended learning. A questionnaire was used to collect data from participating teachers in the areas of school digital strategy, digital competence, and teaching practice in blended learning. The data were analyzed through structural equation models, verifying the relation between variables and also according to specific training on ICTs. An active but insufficient effort on the part of the participants’ schools to promote digitalization was revealed. The implementation of blended learning has been favored more by the responsiveness of participating EFL teachers than by the provision of specific training on the part of schools, which lacked common guidelines from the public administration. These EFL teachers can respond to changes, but the schools’ support is essential for the successful implementation of blended learning, updating the approach of the digital strategy adopted so far.

The present study aimed to investigate the role of digital competence in the classroom leadership of new teachers. The study was applied in terms of purpose and used a descriptive-analytical methodology. Moreover, the data were collected according to the quantitative approach. The population included all graduates of Farhangian University in Fars Province who started teaching during the academic years from 2016 to 2021. Using Cochran's formula and the available sampling method, 238 people were selected as a statistical sample from 4500 new teachers. The data were collected using the EU Standardized Digital Competence Questionnaire (as cited in Gümüş & Kukul, 2023)  and the Classroom Leadership Scale (Karabağ Köse, 2019). Using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, the instruments' reliability was determined at 0.96 and 0.95 for the EU Standardized Digital Competence Questionnaire and the Classroom Leadership Scale, respectively. Data were analyzed using the t-test to determine the status of the research variables, Pearson's correlation coefficient for investigating simple relationships between the variables, stepwise regression analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis for determining the construct validity. The study results showed that the new teachers' digital competence was (in general) above average, and only one component (i.e., creating digital content) was evaluated at an average level. Furthermore, a significant relationship was observed between the components of digital competency and classroom leadership. Ultimately, the results of the stepwise regression indicated that new teachers' digital competence could explain around 30% of their classroom leadership

Nowadays, teachers are expected to demonstrate a notable level of digital competence. Therefore, the current study investigated Iranian male and female pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence. The study employed a mixed methods approach and three instruments including a questionnaire, structured interviews, and observations were utilized. Therefore, 157 Iranian in-service EFL teachers completed the DIGIGLO questionnaire. Also, 15 in-service and 15 pre-service EFL teachers participated in structured interviews. Moreover, 30 classes were observed. To analyze the qualitative data, thematic analysis was used and in the phase of quantitative analysis, descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were used. The results indicated that the level of Iranian in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence was moderate to high. In addition, some similarities and differences could be seen in the interview questions between in-service and pre-service EFL teachers. Moreover, it was revealed that there were no significant differences between male and female in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence. Furthermore, it was found that a majority of teachers incorporated digital technologies into their teaching practice. The results of this study can help curriculum developers and teacher educators realize a better conception of Iranian pre-service and in-service EFL teachers’ digital competence and their practices of using digital tools.