Fostering teacher's digital competence at university: The perception of students and teachers

Abstract

This article deals with the project "An inter-university proposal for the initial training of teachers in digital technologies." In order to prepare it, we examine the views of students and teachers on the issues with digital technologies and methodological digital competence along with the appropriate institutional measures to develop teachers' digital competence (TDC). In this study, we used a mixed-method research design. The main techniques and instruments used in the present study were the analysis of available information, focus groups and surveys. The proposal is targeted at the nine Catalan Universities that provide training for future teachers in Pre-school and Primary Education Degrees. The main findings point to the need to link the university to society, as well as to promote a professional development of university teachers and the digital literacy of their students by fostering collaborative learning and authorship. Likewise, it highlights the importance of prioritizing communication and cooperation during the teaching and learning process using useful digital resources that facilitate it. At the same time, the present study highlights ethics and digital citizenship as an emerging dimension that needs to be considered in educational practice. Finally, three institutional actions about TDC are pointed out to consider in university curricula.