Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Educ.
Sec. Digital Education
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1436368

Influence of Gender and Academic Level on the Development of Digital Competencies in University Teachers: A Multidisciplinary Comparative Analysis

Provisionally accepted
Tibisay M. Lamus de Rodríguez Tibisay M. Lamus de Rodríguez 1María C. Arias-Iturralde María C. Arias-Iturralde 2Jisson O. Vega-Intriago Jisson O. Vega-Intriago 3Verónica M. Mendoza-Fernández Verónica M. Mendoza-Fernández 3Jimmy M. Zambrano-Acosta Jimmy M. Zambrano-Acosta 3Ruben D. Cardenas-Hinojosa Ruben D. Cardenas-Hinojosa 1Jenniffer S. Moreira-Choez Jenniffer S. Moreira-Choez 1*
  • 1 State University of Milagro, Milagro, Guayas, Ecuador
  • 2 National University of Education (Ecuador), Ecuador, Ecuador
  • 3 Technical University of Manabi, Portoviejo, Ecuador

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The digital era has transformed professional demands across all fields, particularly in higher education, where digital competencies are considered crucial for effective teaching performance. Based on this premise, the current study aimed to examine the digital competencies of faculty members at the State University of Milagro, focusing on the influences of gender and academic level. Employing a quantitative approach under the positivist paradigm, data from 279 faculty members were analyzed using the Higher Education Digital Competence Assessment Questionnaire, and a descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS. The results highlighted significant correlations among the dimensions of digital competencies, demonstrating that development in one specific competency could enhance skills in other areas. This interrelation emphasizes the integrative nature of digital technologies in the academic environment. The study revealed a high internal consistency in the evaluated competencies and underscored those differences according to gender and academic degree reflect variations in technological exposure and training. These findings point to the importance of adopting integrative educational strategies that promote equitable development of digital competencies among teaching staff.

    Keywords: Digital competencies, digital technologies, higher education, statistical analysis, teacher training

    Received: 22 May 2024; Accepted: 05 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lamus de Rodríguez, Arias-Iturralde, Vega-Intriago, Mendoza-Fernández, Zambrano-Acosta, Cardenas-Hinojosa and Moreira-Choez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jenniffer S. Moreira-Choez, State University of Milagro, Milagro, Guayas, Ecuador

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.