Teachers’ Professional Digital Competence

Teachers’ Professional Digital Competence: Comparison

Please note this is a comparison between Version 2 by Jeremy Duan and Version 1 by Ilka Nagel.

Teachers’ professional digital competence (PDC) refers to digital competence specific to the teaching profession. PDC serves a dual purpose: it encompasses a range of instrumental, professional, ethical, critical, and epistemic dimensions related to, on the one hand, teaching with digital tools and resources and, on the other hand, teaching pupils about digital technologies, digital skills, digital cultural expression, and broader digital and critical competences relevant to study, work, and everyday life. Teachers’ PDC is a dynamic concept that evolves in step with societal development and technological advancement.

TPACK
DigCompEdu
teacher digital competence
digital skills
critical digital competence
21st century skills
digital agency
media literacy

Teachers’ professional digital competence (PDC) refers to dimensions of digital competence that are specific to the teaching profession. The term PDC was introduced by the former Norwegian Centre for ICT in Education in 2012 and has since been employed in several Norwegian policy documents related to schools and education [1,2]^[1][2]. Over time, it has been adopted by other scholars, primarily by Scandinavian researchers (e.g., [3,4,5]^[3][4][5]) and more recently by international scholars (e.g., [6,7,8]^[6][7][8]).

The concept of teacher-specific digital competence dates back to the early 2000s through numerous models and conceptualizations developed by both scholars and policymakers. Since the concept of PDC is often perceived as fuzzy and complex by both researchers and teachers, there is a need to align global conceptualizations [9,10]^[9][10]. This challenge motivated the development of this study. The aim of this study is to illustrate how the conceptualization of PDC has evolved from an initial focus on teaching with digital tools to a broader understanding that includes pupils’ digital competences, as well as ethical, critical, and epistemic dimensions. Furthermore, we explore how various factors—including technological developments and access, educational discourse, research agendas, and policy trends—have interacted to shape the development of the concept.

References

Kelentrić, M.; Helland, K.; Arstorp, A.-T. Professional Digital Competence Framework for Teachers in Norway. 2024. Available online: https://www.udir.no/kvalitet-og-kompetanse/digitalisering-skole/rammeverk-larerens-profesjonsfaglige-digitale-komp/ (accessed on 15 May 2025).
Ministry of Education and Research. Strategi for Digital Kompetanse Og Infrastruktur i Barnehage og Skole; Ministry of Education and Research: Oslo, Norway, 2023. Available online: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/strategi-for-digital-kompetanse-og-infrastruktur-i-barnehage-og-skole/id2972254/ (accessed on 15 May 2025).
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McGarr, O. Exploring and reflecting on the influences that shape teacher professional digital competence frameworks. Teach. Teach. 2024, 30, 509–525.
Heine, S.; Krepf, M.; König, J. Digital resources as an aspect of teacher professional digital competence: One term, different definitions—A systematic review. Educ. Inf. Technol. 2022, 28, 3711–3738.
Ruiz, M.; Maquilón, J.J.; Mirete, L.; Rodríguez, R.A. Digital Competence and University Teachers’ Conceptions about Teaching. A Structural Causal Model. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4842.
Claro, M.; Castro-Grau, C.; Ochoa, J.M.; Hinostroza, J.E.; Cabello, P. Systematic review of quantitative research on digital competences of in-service school teachers. Comput. Educ. 2024, 215, 105030.
Joya, L.G.; Merchán, M.A.M.; Barrera, E.A.L. Development and Strengthening of Teachers’ Digital Competence: Systematic Review. Contemp. Educ. Technol. 2025, 17, ep555.