Digital competencies for teachers and continuing education: A proposal from the qualitative paradigm

Abstract

The changes and transformations experienced in today's world have led to daily use of digital technologies shaping new ways of living and working, and the educational field has been no exception. Given the need to digitally enable teachers to improve their pedagogical practice in the society of the 21st century, this study sought to define the indicators that can serve as a basis for designing a model of continuous training in digital competencies for teachers using a qualitative research approach. A rigorous content analysis of institutional materials, semi-structured interview reports and focus group reports was carried out, with their triangulation leading to the design guidelines. The results indicate that the role of digital technologies in the educational process analyzed is meager; the participating teachers state that a continuous training strategy is required to meet their specific needs, and that the emerging digital competencies should focus on the creation of content and the implementation of the hybrid modality. Although these findings are not generalizable, as they do not relate to a specific environment, the analysis process is replicable and can be used in other environments. It is concluded that it is essential to have a continuous training model that makes use of a technology adaptable to the particular needs of the contexts in which it is to be implemented.