Digital Competence as a Predictor of Pedagogical Practices among Teacher Educators: An Empirical Study

Abstract

The digital competence and pedagogical practices are interrelated to each other, as effective teaching increasingly depends on the ability of teachers to integrate technology and implement innovative, student-centred strategies that enhance learning outcomes. The present study aimed to assess the level of digital competence among teacher educators in DIETs (District Institutes of Education and Training) of Odisha, examine its relationship with their pedagogical practices, and investigate its impact on overall pedagogical effectiveness. This study adopted a descriptive correlational research design, and a total of 100 teacher educators were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique as the sample. Data were collected through two Likert scales, and the collected data were analysed through SPSS-22 using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. The results of the study revealed that there was a moderate to high level of digital competence among teacher educators and a significant positive relationship (r = 0.305, p < 0.05) between digital competence and pedagogical practices was found. Further, the analysis also revealed that digital competence was a strong predictor of pedagogical effectiveness. These results emphasised the need and importance of continuous professional development and promoting digital competence skills within teacher education programs for technology-integrated instruction and effective teaching. The study concluded that digital competence is an important factor for improving pedagogical quality and also helps the prepared teachers with 21stcentury skills.