Digital competence in teaching, its study in the training of education professionals

Abstract

In higher education, strengthening teachers' digital competence is essential for educational institutions to fulfil their mission in the current social context. This study aimed to characterise the level of digital competence perceived by teachers at the Central University ‘Marta Abreu’ of Las Villas, who train future education professionals. The research followed a mixed approach, developing in three stages. The first stage was theoretical, the second quantitative, a survey was applied to 137 teachers from the faculties of education. In the third, qualitative stage, a focus group technique was used to discuss the results and propose recommendations. The main findings revealed that the majority of teachers are in the basic (57 %) and creative (34 %) categories in terms of perceived digital competence. The study underlines the importance of tailored training strategies to improve teachers' ability to integrate digital tools into their professional practice, thus contributing to quality and relevant education.