Identifying Multilevel Predictors of Digipedagogical Competence among Secondary School Teachers in the United States

Abstract

U.S. public schools have made significant strides in connectivity, device accessibility, and digital learning resources. However, there remains a limited understanding of how best to equip teachers with knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively integrate technology into their instructional practices. Digipedagogical competence, which is defined as the ability to integrate technology into teaching to enhance student learning, serves as the focal point of this study. Using data from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), this study examined factors associated with U.S. secondary teachers’ perceived digital teaching proficiency. A multilevel modeling approach was employed to analyze data from 2,414 teachers across 165 schools, investigating predictors at both the teacher and school levels. Teacher-level factors included pre-and in-service training in information and communication technology, job satisfaction, and collegial collaboration, while school-level factors encompassed collective teacher innovativeness, school innovativeness, and digital infrastructure. Results indicated that initial and continuing ICT training, collegial collaboration, and digital infrastructure were significant predictors of teachers’ perceived digipedagogical competence within and across schools. While this study offers new insights into individual and contextual factors related to teachers’ digipedagogical competence with implications for teacher preparation, professional development, and educational policies, further research is needed to explore how variation in school contexts and teacher backgrounds, such as linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors, may influence digital teaching proficiency.