Exploring middle school mathematics teachers' digital competencies after the pandemic : A mixed-method study

Abstract

This explanatory sequential mixed-method study aims to explore middle school mathematics teachers’ digital competencies in the post-pandemic era, with a particular emphasis on exploring possible reasons stemming from their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 44 participants for the quantitative and 10 participants for the qualitative phase. This research examines the digital competency levels and potential variations based on gender, educational background, and teaching experience. It also explores the participants' perceptions and practices related to digital competencies. Digital competency scale for educators and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The findings indicated that female participants had higher scores than males in all areas of the DigCompEdu framework except the Area 6, participants with a master's degree had higher scores than those with a bachelor's degree in the Professional Engagement area, and the year of teaching experience did not yield in any significant differences. Most participants perceived their digital competencies to be higher than their actual levels, and their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic had varied effects including using more digital technologies for instruction and communication and their self-confidence. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical data on middle school mathematics teachers’ digital competency levels via in-depth analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. The implications for research and practice, suggestions for curriculum designers and mathematics educators, and possible future directions for research are also discussed.