Determinants of Elementary Teachers’ Digital Competence: Examining Mediating and Moderating Effects through SEM and Network Analysis

Abstract

The integration of digital technology in basic education increasingly requires teachers to have adequate digital competencies. However, in various regions of Indonesia, especially at the elementary school level, teachers’ digital competencies remain a serious challenge that impacts the low quality of interactive digital learning. This study aims to analyze the influence of digital literacy, collaborative culture, and institutional support on teachers’ digital competencies, considering the role of digital self-efficacy as a mediator and institutional support as a moderator. This study uses a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling analysis technique. Data were obtained from 330 elementary school teachers in West Sumatra Indonesia through direct and online surveys using the SurveyMonkey platform. The entire research process obtained ethical approval from Padang State University and was accompanied by informed consent from respondents. The results indicate that digital literacy, collaborative culture, and institutional support significantly influence teachers’ digital competence. Digital self-efficacy did not show a significant mediating effect, but its role as a direct predictor and theoretical construct remains conceptually central. Institutional support strengthens the effect of digital literacy on digital competence while it weakens the effect of collaborative culture on digital competence. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of individual and institutional factors into a single analytical framework to explain digital competence in an emerging educational context. This study suggests that teacher development programs should not only focus on technical training but also on strengthening self-efficacy, collaborative culture in schools, and consistent institutional support. Further research is recommended to explore long term interventions with a cross level educational approach.