Page 148 - International Perspectives on Effective Teaching and Learning in Digital Education

Danijela Ljubojević and Nikoleta Gutvajn

tal skills. It was found that the teachers have low overall digital competence,
and they self-assessed themselves at an average digital competence level,
with the lowest scores in facilitating learners’ digital competence and cyber-
security awareness (Rubio-Gragera et al., 3).
In the context of this study, DigCompEdu is used as a foundational frame-
work as well for designing the research instrument, allowing for a systematic
analysis of the digital competences of foreign language teachers in higher
education institutions in Serbia. Moreover, it is particularly focused on sup-
porting individual teachers in their professional development related to dig-
ital competence. DigCompEdu provides a progression model to help educa-
tors assess and develop their digital competence, thus making it a choice for
the instrument in this study.

Methodology
Design of the Study
This study employs a descriptive survey design aimed at determining the lev-
el of digital competences of foreign language teachers at HEIs in Serbia. The
design was chosen because it allows for the collection of data on participants’
self-assessed competences, providing a comprehensive view of their current
digital proficiency. The study is non-experimental and cross-sectional, as the
data is collected at a single point in time without manipulation of variables.
The questionnaire, based on the DigCompEdu framework, comprises 33
questions. It was designed to cover six key areas of digital competence as
outlined in the DigCompEdu framework.
The target population for this study consists of foreign language teachers
working at universities across Serbia. Data collection is carried out through
an online survey, distributed via emails to university heads and language
societies, who forward the questionnaire to the relevant teachers. The ques-
tionnaire responses are anonymized to ensure privacy and unbiased data
collection.
The results are analysed using descriptive statistics to determine the over-
all level of digital competence, as well as to identify any significant trends or
gaps in the digital skillset of the educators.
The main method used for data collection in the study included a very com-
prehensive and detailed online survey, which was distributed to teachers.
The questionnaire included sets of questions regarding teachers’ awareness
of digital competences, their institutions’ support, professional development
in this field, pedagogical aspects of using digital competences in the class-
room, student digital competence and digital-based assessment practices.

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