Page 160 - International Perspectives on Effective Teaching and Learning in Digital Education

Danijela Ljubojević and Nikoleta Gutvajn

solid foundational understanding, it also indicates potential barriers to ful-
ly engaging with more advanced professional development opportunities.
Teachers appear moderately comfortable with using digital tools to interact
with colleagues and parents, but their level of engagement in online training
platforms remains at a similar level, suggesting that they may not be maxi-
mizing the benefits of available digital resources (for example, online cours-
es, MOOCs, webinars or virtual conferences). Increased focus on integrating
advanced digital teacher training programs could help bridge the gap be-
tween intermediate and advanced proficiency in professional engagement.
Furthermore, online platforms and digital resources can provide continuous
professional development opportunities that foster skills and reduce feelings
of inadequacy contributing to teachers mental health and well-being (Gutv-
ajn & Ljubojević, 4). Overall, this area is also identified as one of the two
key areas where foreign language teachers at higher education institutions in
Serbia demonstrate the greatest strength.Digital Resources
In terms of digital resource use, the study shows that teachers are generally
at a B level for search strategies and at B1 for creating and modifying digital
content to suit their own needs. However, their ability to protect sensitive
data lags behind, with an average proficiency at the A level. A This gap in
digital safety is concerning, particularly given the growing importance of
data protection in education. Inadequate proficiency in this area could ex-
pose both teachers and students to risks related to privacy and cybersecurity.
These findings suggest a need for targeted professional development fo-
cused on data protection, aligning with recent policy recommendations such
as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which emphasizes the
importance of data safety in educational settings Regulation (EU) 16/679 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 April 16 on the protection
of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the
free movement of such data, 16. This area is also identified as one of the
two key areas where foreign language teachers at higher education institu-
tions in Serbia demonstrate the greatest strength.

Digital Teaching and Learning
The respondents demonstrated B1-level proficiency across most areas of
digital teaching and learning, including value creation, monitoring student
interactions, and the use of digital tools in group work. Nevertheless, the
A-level proficiency in documenting and planning student learning pro-
cesses indicates that teachers may struggle to incorporate digital tools into
more structured, reflective student practices (for example, self-assessments,

16