Intergenerational challenges and opportunities. The integration of digital technologies in school education from the teachers’ perspective

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The generational gap in education refers to disparities in opportunities, access, and educational approaches that may exist between different generations. This reality is present within educational systems, genera-ting differences in teaching practices that range from conceptions of learning to the implementation of active methodologies supported by technology. This article examines the impact of teachers’ age on their evaluation of digital educational resources (DER), their level of knowledge, frequency of use, and perceptions of the resources’ impact on teaching practices. METHOD. To address this objective, an ad hoc online questionnaire was administered within the framework of a national project to 2,242 in-service Early Childhood Education teachers from schools belonging to 15 Autonomous Communities in Spain. Additionally, analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were conducted. RESULTS. The findings show that no generational differences were observed in any of the variables analyzed, except for knowledge level, where younger teachers reported higher scores. Teaching experience did not show significant effects on the variables, whereas school ownership was associated with statistically significant differences in some of them. DISCUSSION. These findings are consistent with those reported in other studies conducted in this and other educational stages. They also suggest that the differences may be more closely related to factors such as organizational culture and shared innovation, educational policies, resource availability, or teacher training. Overall, the study supports a critical perspective on certain prejudices and stereotypes generated within the educational field regarding teachers’ age.