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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ISSN 2012-1652 (Print)