An Empirical Investigation of EFL Teachers’ Digital Competences and Its Pedagogical Application
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33394/jollt.v13i4.14975Keywords:
Digital competence, Professional development, Technology integration, Language instructionsAbstract
In an increasingly digital age, the integration of technology into education has become imperative, particularly in the domain of English language teaching. This study focuses on evaluating the digital competence of Junior high schools English teachers, with a primary emphasis on their proficiency and efficacy in utilizing digital tools within their teaching practices. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, the study employed a combination of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to assess teachers' digital skills. The study explored six core competence areas as delineated by the Digital Competence Framework for Educators (DigCompEdu), which include professional engagement, digital resources, teaching and learning, assessment, empowering learners, and facilitating learners' digital competence. The analysis revealed that English teachers demonstrate commendable digital competence, predominantly classified as "Integrators" in five of the six DigCompEdu domains, and as "Experts" in the Empowering Learners domain. More experienced teachers showcase superior skills in personalizing learning and utilizing diverse digital tools like WhatsApp, Google Forms, Canva, and TikTok. Conversely, less experienced teachers primarily rely on conventional tools, highlighting the need for effective mentorship and structured guidance. The findings have significant implications for school leaders, policymakers, and teacher education institutions, advocating for mentorship systems, enhanced professional development programs that integrate pedagogical strategies, and practical training in adaptive digital resource development. Ultimately, this study emphasizes the necessity of ongoing support to foster sustainable digital competence in educators, contributing to the global discourse on digital pedagogy in 21st-century education.
References
Al-Sindi, T., Putra, H. D., & Ghozi, S. (2023). Integrating technology into classroom training. Journal of Training, Education, Science and Technology, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.51629/jtest.v1i1.168
Aydın, M., Yıldırım, T., & Kuş, M. (2024). Teachers' digital competences: a scale construction and validation study. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1356573
Betancur-Chicué, V., & Muñoz‐Repiso, A. G. (2023). Microlearning for the development of teachers’ digital competence related to feedback and decision making. Education Sciences, 13(7), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070722
Demir, O., Aslan, S. A., & Demır, M. (2022). Examining the relationship between teachers’ lifelong learning tendencies and digital literacy levels. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 5(2), 379-392. https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1034697
Derder, A., Sudaria, R., & Paglinawan, J. L. (2023). Digital infrastructure on teaching effectiveness of public-school teachers. American Journal of Education and Practice, 7(6), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.47672/ajep.1719
Ducasse, A. M., Ferrero, C. L., & Girona, M. T. M. (2023). Technology-enabled higher education academic writing feedback: practices, needs and preferences. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 39(4), 48-73. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.8557
Fernandez, L. D., & Hadiyanti, K. M. W. (2023). Pre-service teachers’ digital competencies: a transformative medium toward language teaching. Prosiding Konferensi Linguistik Tahunan Atma Jaya (KOLITA), 21(21), 215-223. https://doi.org/10.25170/kolita.21.4852
Gutiérrez-Castillo, J. J., Palacios‐Rodríguez, A., Párraga, L. M., & Hidalgo, M. S. (2023). Development of digital teaching competence: pilot experience and validation through expert judgment. Education Sciences, 13(5, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13010052
Indriani, C. L., Muth’im, A., & Febriyanti, E. R. (2024). English language learning through the use of digital technology: a literature review. Linguistic, English Education and Art (LEEA) Journal, 7(2), 283-290. https://doi.org/10.31539/leea.v7i2.9268
Kartikawati, D., & Nurhasanah, N. (2024). The role of teachers and digital literacy competencies. Asian Journal of Social and Humanities, 2(11), 2839-2847. https://doi.org/10.59888/ajosh.v2i11.408
Li, L., & Cheong, L. K. (2024). Analysis of the research progress of teachers’ digital competence in china based on bibliometrics. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 13(2), 869-882. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarped/v13-i2/21378
Li, Y., & Shang, F. (2023). Data mining technology helps digital teaching and learning of english majors in colleges and universities. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.2478/amns.2023.2.01349
Ličen, S., & Prosen, M. (2024). Strengthening sustainable higher education with digital technologies: development and validation of a digital competence scale for university teachers (dcs-ut). Sustainability, 16(22), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229937
Maggio, M. G., Giambò, F. M., Barbera, M., Pasquale, P. D., Bruno, F., Calderone, A., & Calabrò, R. S. (2025). Moving toward the digitalization of neuropsychological tests: an exploratory study on usability and operator perception. Digital Health, 11, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076251334449
Malicsi, H. A. M. (2023). Digital competencies and challenges on teachers’ instructional capabilities among public elementary schools. International Journal of Research Publications, 129(1), 370-379. https://doi.org/10.47119/ijrp1001291720235286
Moreira, J. A., Nunes, C. S., & Casanova, D. (2023). Digital competence of higher education teachers at a distance learning university in portugal. Computers, 12(169), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers12090169
Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Su, J., Ng, C. W., & Chu, S. K. W. (2023). Teachers’ ai digital competencies and twenty-first century skills in the post-pandemic world. Educational Technology Research and Development, 71(1), 137-161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-023-10203-6
Peng, R., Razak, R. A., & Halili, S. H. (2024). Integration of information and communication technology in teaching english among in-service teachers. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 13(2), 1235-1241. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v13i2.26347
Permatasari, A. D. A., Handayani, R. D., Siswati, B. H., & Bachtiar, A. A. (2023). Effectiveness test digital assessment based moodle as a digital assessment instrument for measuring science literacy skills for junior high school students. JPPS (Jurnal Penelitian Pendidikan Sains), 220-232. https://doi.org/10.26740/jpps.v13n1.p220-232
Pratiwi, I. R. (2024). Dynamics of educational digitalization in indonesia: the influence of korean culture in indonesia. Proceedings of International Conference on Education, 2(1), 102-106. https://doi.org/10.32672/pice.v2i1.1325
Rasalli, R. I. Z., & Matore, M. E. E. M. M. M. (2023). Trends of the implementation of hybrid teaching and learning in mathematics education: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i2/16220
Sabari, N. A. S., & Hashim, H. (2023). Sustaining education with digital storytelling in the english language teaching and learning: a systematic review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(4), 208-224. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i4/16860
Saparuddin, S., Istiqomah, I., Susilo, H., Ibrohim, I., & Ratnapuri, A. (2024). Subject-based lesson study supporting merdeka curriculum enactment: findings from malang city science teachers. Journal of Community Service and Empowerment, 5(1), 205-215. https://doi.org/10.22219/jcse.v5i1.29411
Seifert, H., & Lindmeier, A. (2024). Developing a performance-based assessment to measure pre-service secondary teachers’ digital competence to use digital mathematics tools. Journal Für Mathematik-Didaktik, 45(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13138-024-00251-7
Sembiring, L. T. A. B., & Sembiring, S. S. (2024). Practical application of assessment theories for english teacher through digital technologies. ETERNAL (English Teaching Journal), 15(2), 378-387. https://doi.org/10.26877/eternal.v15i2.830
Sumarni, S., Iskandar, I., & Santosa, I. (2023). Assessing digital competence among pre-service english language teachers: strengths and weakenesses. Journal of English Education and Teaching, 7(3), 613-631. https://doi.org/10.33369/jeet.7.3.613-631
Susrawan, I. N. A., Suandi, N., Sudiana, I. N., & Dewantara, I. P. M. (2024). Indonesian textbooks oriented on social integration and 21st century skills in higher education: validity, practicality, and effectiveness. International Journal of Language Education, 8(1), 83-96. https://doi.org/10.26858/ijole.v8i1.60910
Taufiqulloh, T., Nindya, M. A., & Rosdiana, I. (2023). Using lms “elsakti’ as an effective assessment medium for english efl learning. Studies in English Language Teaching, 11(3), 54-65. https://doi.org/10.22158/selt.v11n3p54
Torres, E. d., Canaleta, X., Fonseca, D., & Alsina, M. I. B. (2024). Automated monitoring of human–computer interaction for assessing teachers’ digital competence based on lms data extraction. Sensors, 24(11), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24113326
Utami, A. A. I. D. A., & Suastika, I. N. (2023). Needs analysis of digital learning media development in middle school social studies learning in singaraja, indonesia. Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Law, Social Sciences, and Education, ICLSSE 2022, 28 October 2022, Singaraja. https://doi.org/10.4108/eai.28-10-2022.2326329
Vieira, R. M., Tenreiro-Vieira, C., Bem-Haja, P., & Lucas, M. (2023). Stem teachers’ digital competence: different subjects, different proficiencies. Education Sciences, 13(11), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111133
Wahyuni, F., Munirah, M., & Nurlina, N. (2024). The practicality of e-module indonesian language based on contextual for students of elementary school teacher education. PPSDP International Journal of Education, 3(2), 50-63. https://doi.org/10.59175/pijed.v3i2.294
Wei, Y. W. Y., Wei, Q. Q. Y., Qin, C. C. Q., & Chen, X. L. (2023). Research on the construction and application of knowledge graph of digital resources in vocational colleges. Journal Computer, 34(4), 195-201. https://doi.org/10.53106/199115992023083404017
Wu, J., & Mao, Z. (2023). Research on the digital competency improvement path of higher vocational uav application technology professional teachers based on ai technology. Atlantis Highlights in Computer Sciences, 575-583. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-264-4_66
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Fera Salsabila, Soni Mirizon, Machdalena Vianty
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
License and Publishing Agreement
In submitting the manuscript to the journal, the authors certify that:
- They are authorized by their co-authors to enter into these arrangements.
- The work described has not been formally published before, except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, thesis, or overlay journal.
- That it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere,
- That its publication has been approved by all the author(s) and by the responsible authorities – tacitly or explicitly – of the institutes where the work has been carried out.
- They secure the right to reproduce any material that has already been published or copyrighted elsewhere.
- They agree to the following license and publishing agreement.
Copyright
Authors who publish with JOLLT Journal of Languages and Language Teaching agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
Licensing for Data Publication
-
Open Data Commons Attribution License, http://www.opendatacommons.org/licenses/by/1.0/ (default)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
