Home⇛The Trinitian Researcher⇛vol. 12 no. 1 (2024)

Examining the Relationship Between Teachers' Digital Proficiency and Instructional Quality Using Demographic Data—Contextual Implications for ASEAN Countries

Yu Liu

Discipline: Teacher Training

 

Abstract:

This research examines how successfully instructors utilize technology in their classes at three private high schools in Hefei, Anhui Province, China, utilizing the TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework and the LICC (Learning/Instruction/Curriculum/Culture) classroom observation methodology. The research investigates how instructors' backgrounds affect the four components of the LICC model (student learning, instruction, curriculum, and culture) and the three core components of TPACK (content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge). By comparing how instructors evaluate their own TPACK levels to how their peers assess their classroom teaching using the LICC model, this study investigates the link between teachers' digital skills and the quality of their instruction. The research included 198 in-service teachers from private secondary schools who completed online questionnaires. Data was entered and organized in Microsoft Excel, and percentage analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney U tests and descriptive-correlational approaches. The study found that teachers' digital skills differed significantly based on their years of teaching experience (pedagogical knowledge, p = 0.014) and the highest level of education (technological knowledge, p = 0.024, p < 0.05). Teachers' perceived level of competency with digital tools does not align with their actual performance in the classroom, as evidenced by the lack of a meaningful relationship between their digital abilities and the quality of their teaching. The findings suggest that instructors' digital proficiency in real-world teaching scenarios is insufficient. To capture the attention of private school leaders, this research proposes solutions to these obstacles that aim to enhance teaching quality and increase the competitiveness of private schools. The study's conclusions are also relevant for private education in Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and other ASEAN nations, given the similarities between the educational settings and needs of China's private school sector and those of many ASEAN countries.



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