According to the research by Abalos-Aguilera, Romero-Rodríguez, and Castillo-Abdul (2026), digital teaching competence (DTC) among primary teachers in Andalusia (Spain) sits mostly at intermediate DigCompEdu levels, with relatively few teachers reaching advanced profiles.
This article explains what teacher digital competence means in practice, why it matters for ICT integration in primary classrooms, and how the study’s findings can inform teacher training and school leadership decisions.
What is it?
According to the research by Abalos-Aguilera et al. (2026), digital teaching competence is not just “knowing tools,” but a multidimensional capacity to use digital technologies pedagogically, professionally, and ethically in ways that improve learning.
DigCompEdu as the reference framework
The main findings indicate that the study operationalizes DTC using the European DigCompEdu framework, which organizes educators’ competence into six areas: professional engagement, digital resources, digital pedagogy, assessment and feedback, student empowerment, and facilitating students’ digital competence.
DigCompEdu proficiency levels used in the study
According to the research design, teachers’ average scores (1–5 Likert scale) were classified into five levels: A1 (Beginner), A2 (Explorer), B1 (Integrator), B2 (Expert), and C1 (Leader), using cut-off points aligned to the scale structure.
Why is it important?
This article explains that digital competence of primary school teachers is a key “missing link” between having technology available and achieving meaningful learning outcomes, because classroom impact depends on pedagogical integration, not device presence alone.
The main findings indicate that when teacher training is insufficient or disconnected from pedagogy, technology adoption may produce limited or inconsistent results—reinforcing why schools need structured, sustained professional development rather than short tool-focused workshops.
How is it applied?
According to the research by Abalos-Aguilera et al. (2026), a practical way to apply DTC in schools is to evaluate competence across multiple dimensions (not a single “tech skills” score), then design training that targets both personal drivers (confidence, beliefs, motivation) and organizational conditions (time, support, resources).
This article explains that DigCompEdu-aligned assessment can support: (1) diagnosing development needs, (2) tailoring training pathways, and (3) tracking progress from Integrator (B1) to Expert/Leader (B2/C1) profiles.
Study snapshot: Andalusia (Spain)
According to the research protocol, the study surveyed 416 primary education teachers working in Andalusia using a self-administered online questionnaire and a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analyses with qualitative coding of open responses.
Participants and context
The main findings indicate the sample covered multiple provinces and school types (mostly public), with teachers from diverse experience ranges (from under 5 years to over 26 years).
Instrument and reliability
According to the methods section, the instrument included 45 Likert items mapped to the six DigCompEdu areas, and the overall scale showed high internal reliability (Cronbach’s α > .90), with subscales ranging from acceptable to excellent (α > .70).
Main findings from the multidimensional analysis
Overall competence levels (RQ1)
The main findings indicate that teachers clustered at intermediate levels with an overall mean self-perception of 3.17/5, suggesting “functional but still developing” digital teaching competence.
According to the reported DigCompEdu-level distribution, the sample was positioned as follows:
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B1 (Integrator): 25.95%
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A2 (Explorer): 22.78%
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B2 (Expert): 21.52%
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A1 (Beginner): 16.46%
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C1 (Leader): 13.29%
Which DigCompEdu dimensions most shape overall DTC?
According to the correlation analysis, the dimension most strongly linked to overall DTC was digital resources (Spearman ρ = 0.73, high), followed by moderate associations with developing students’ digital competence (ρ = 0.61), professional engagement (ρ = 0.61), assessment and feedback (ρ = 0.58), and student empowerment (ρ = 0.54).
This article explains why that matters: improving teachers’ digital resources practices (selecting, creating, adapting, managing resources) can act as a high-leverage pathway for raising overall self-perceived competence—especially when paired with pedagogy and assessment use.
Differences by experience, school type, and specialization (RQ2)
The main findings indicate no statistically significant differences in self-perceived DTC across:
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years of experience,
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type of institution (public/charter/private),
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teaching specialization,
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and other contextual variables tested (ANOVA/Kruskal–Wallis results non-significant; effect sizes small).
According to the descriptive trends, early-career teachers reported slightly higher mean DTC than more experienced groups, and some provincial variation appeared (e.g., higher mean in Seville), but these patterns did not translate into robust inferential differences.
What helps—and what blocks—digital competence growth (RQ3)
Personal facilitators: confidence, beliefs, motivation
The main findings indicate that personal factors were rated highest, especially beliefs about the usefulness of technology (M ≈ 3.72) and professional confidence with digital tools (M ≈ 3.71–3.69).
According to the correlations, professional confidence had the strongest association with overall DTC (ρ = 0.51), followed by personal beliefs (ρ = 0.42).
Institutional barriers: time, support, and resources
This article explains that institutional conditions still matter, but often as constraints: teachers reported lower ratings for time for professional development and technical support, and qualitative responses repeatedly highlighted workload and limited time as persistent barriers.
According to Figure 1 (page 7), the most frequently mentioned determinants in open responses include continuing teacher training (top), lack of time, and access/quality of technological resources, followed by confidence/self-efficacy and personal interest/motivation.
Practical recommendations for teacher training and policy
According to the research implications, moving teachers from B1/B2 toward more advanced profiles requires training that is personalized, sustained, and context-sensitive, addressing both individual and organizational dimensions.
Build confidence through coached practice
The main findings indicate that boosting professional confidence is a high-impact lever, so schools should prioritize mentored classroom implementation (micro-credential pathways, coaching cycles, peer observation) over one-off sessions.
Make time and support visible (not optional)
This article explains that without protected time, technical help, and leadership-backed routines, teachers may stay in “functional” usage. Policies should explicitly allocate time for professional development, ensure responsive tech support, and align ICT goals with curriculum planning.
Shift from tools to pedagogy and assessment
According to the DigCompEdu logic used in the study, competence growth should target digital pedagogy and assessment/feedback practices—how tools change learning design, evidence collection, and differentiation—rather than focusing mainly on platforms.
Limitations and future research
According to the authors, results should be interpreted cautiously because the sample was obtained via non-probabilistic convenience sampling, which limits generalizability to the full teacher population.
The main findings indicate that future work would benefit from probabilistic sampling, longitudinal tracking, and triangulating self-perceptions with performance-based measures to capture DTC beyond self-report.
FAQ
What is DigCompEdu in one sentence?
According to the research framework used, DigCompEdu is a European model that defines educators’ digital competence across six areas, from professional engagement to empowering learners and developing students’ digital skills.
Do younger or less experienced teachers have higher digital competence?
The main findings indicate that less experienced teachers showed slightly higher mean scores descriptively, but differences were not statistically significant, so experience alone did not explain competence levels.
What is the biggest driver of higher digital teaching competence?
According to the correlation results, professional confidence is the strongest correlate of overall DTC (ρ = 0.51), making it a practical target for training design.
What are the most common barriers schools should address first?
According to teachers’ qualitative responses and the frequency chart (Fig. 1, page 7), the most common barriers are lack of time, resource/access issues, and insufficient sustained training, with institutional support repeatedly mentioned as critical.
How can a school apply these findings next month?
This article explains a simple starting plan: (1) run a DigCompEdu-aligned self-check, (2) identify one high-impact area (often digital resources + assessment), (3) launch a coached pilot with protected time, and (4) review progress using shared evidence of classroom practice.
Key takeaways
The main findings indicate that Andalusian primary teachers’ digital competence is mostly intermediate, with limited advanced leadership profiles—suggesting the system needs structured pathways to move from “functional” to “transformative” digital teaching.
According to the evidence, the most effective improvement strategy is two-sided: strengthen teacher confidence and beliefs while removing institutional friction through time, support, and resource quality.
