Perceived Teacher Digital Competence of Pre-Service Bilingual Teachers: A Comparative Study of On-Site vs Emergency Remote Teaching

Abstract

Digital competence is of utmost importance due to its direct link to the use of technologies, a key ability in the 21st-century society. However, research analyses neither pre-service bilingual teachers’ digital competence nor its relationship with emergency remote teaching in situations such as that caused by COVID-19. Following a quantitative analysis, this paper compares the perceptions regarding teacher digital competence of two groups of pre-service bilingual teachers. Findings reveal an overall positive perceived competence. Moreover, significant differences are observed in favor of women in terms of gender and in terms of received instruction in favor of face-to-face teaching versus emergency remote teaching. It is also concluded the need for specific training for teachers to develop their digital competence, as well as the necessity to experience emergency remote teaching situations.