Digital competences of teachers

1. Introduction

In the context of accelerated technological and social change, the education system cannot remain static. The role of teachers is fundamentally changing – they are no longer expected to simply transmit expert knowledge from their academic field, but to act as designers and guides of the learning process in a digital environment.

Today, teachers need the skills to plan, lead and evaluate instruction in an environment that includes digital technologies, as well as the ability to think critically about their impact on learning. This includes knowledge of tools, platforms, online safety, copyright, open educational content, but also knowledge of digital pedagogy, that is, how to use technology in a meaningful, purposeful, and pedagogically justified way.

In this sense, teachers' competencies for online teaching, designing and distributing teaching materials, using e-learning systems (e.g. Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, and similar) and digital communication are becoming critical skills for the functioning and progress of the entire education system.

Educational institutions that invest in the systematic training of teaching staff monitor the development of their competencies and enable flexible professional learning to have a greater chance of maintaining high quality education, greater student engagement and a willingness to adapt to extraordinary circumstances (e.g., pandemic, transition to online teaching).

To enable the focused development of teachers' digital competences, training participants will be introduced to three internationally recognised frameworks that describe what teachers need to know and be able to do in digital education, and how to gradually progress.

Some of the best-known frameworks and standards for digital competences in education are:

1. UNESCO Framework for Teacher Competences (ICT-CFT)
2. Digital Competency Framework for Teachers – DigCompEdu
3. ISTE standards for teachers.

The role of a teacher today implies a readiness for lifelong learning, digital agility and pedagogical reflection. Digital teaching competencies are not a temporary trend, but a permanently relevant basis for effective work in higher education.

By using frameworks such as UNESCO, DigCompEdu and ISTE, higher education institutions can develop targeted, personalised and effective educational programs that empower teachers and raise the quality of education overall.

2. UNESCO Framework for Teacher Competences (ICT-CFT)

The UNESCO Digital Competence Framework for Teachers (ICT-CFT) is designed as a strategic tool for countries and educational institutions that want to systematically develop the professional development of teachers through the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT). This framework not only provides clear guidelines for the inclusion of ICT in teaching but also lays the foundations for the formulation of policies, curricula and teacher training programs, as well as the institutional capacity for its implementation.

The framework distinguishes three ascending levels of competence: the first level, called Technology Literacy, refers to the basic use of digital tools (ICT) in education, the second, called Knowledge Deepening, involves the application of ICT for focused teaching that encourages collaboration and problem-solving in real-world contexts, and the third level, Knowledge Creation, describes the most advanced level, where ICT is used for innovation, global connectivity and the creation of new knowledge within the educational process.

Each level of the UNESCO Digital Competence Framework for Teachers covers six key areas of professional practice. The first area is understanding ICT policy in education, where teachers are expected to be familiar with national and institutional strategies and the ability to implement them in everyday practice. The second area is curriculum and assessment, which includes the integration of digital technologies into curricula, as well as the use of digital tools to shape and assess student knowledge and skills. The third area refers to pedagogical methods, i.e. the design and implementation of teaching activities in which ICT is used for active, collaborative and problem-based learning. The fourth area is the application of digital skills, which implies the ability of the teacher himself to use various digital tools and resources, but also to transfer these skills to students. The fifth area covers organisation and administration, where the emphasis is on the use of ICT for more effective management of the teaching process, communication and administrative obligations. Finally, the sixth area is the professional development of teachers, in which digital technologies serve as a tool for lifelong learning, monitoring innovations and exchanging good practices with colleagues at the national and international levels.

The aim of this model is to encourage teachers to see ICT not as an end, but as a powerful tool and support for achieving educational outcomes, developing critical thinking and supporting collaborative learning. In this way, the framework promotes strategic, inclusive and innovative pedagogy that actively serves students and the wider education system.

The full text of the document can be found at the link.

3. Digital Competency Framework for Teachers – DigCompEdu

DigCompEdu (Digital Competence Framework for Educators) is a European framework that provides a detailed map of digital competencies specific to the educational context. The Croatian version of the DigCompEdu framework is available in CARNET's publication at the link. Although the framework is applicable to all levels of education, its importance for higher education teachers lies in the ability to take a structured, comprehensive and developmental approach to improving their own digital literacy, with a particular emphasis on the pedagogical application of technology. It consists of 6 areas and 22 specific competencies that encompass all aspects of teaching work.

Areas include:

1. Professional engagement
2. Digital sources and materials
3. Learning and teaching
4. Monitoring and evaluation
5. Student empowerment
6. Enabling the development and guidance of students' digital competences.

Within each area, competencies are listed.

1. Professional engagement includes these competencies:

• communication within the institution
• professional cooperation
• reflection on work
• continuous professional development supported by digital technologies.

2. Digital sources and materials include these competencies:

• digital sources and materials
• creation and adaptation of digital materials
• managing digital resources and materials, protecting them and sharing them.

3. Learning and teaching encompass these competencies:

• teaching
• guidance and direction
• collaborative learning
• self-regulated learning.

4. Monitoring and evaluation include these competencies:

• monitoring and evaluation strategies
• analysis of collected data
• feedback and planning of further activities.

5. Student empowerment encompasses these competencies:

• accessibility and inclusion
• differentiation and personalisation
• active involvement of students.

6.  Enabling the development and guidance of students' digital competences encompasses these competencies:

• information and media literacy
• digital communication and collaboration
• digital content creation
• responsible use
• solving problems using digital technologies and those related to digital technology.

DigCompEdu recognises six levels of progression (from A1 to C2), which allows for monitoring development and individual guidance of education:

Newcomer (A1)

Newcomers are aware of the possibilities that digital technologies offer them if they want to improve their pedagogical and professional skills, but they have relatively little exposure to digital technologies and use them mainly for lesson preparation, administrative tasks or communication within the institution where they work. They need to be guided and encouraged to expand their repertoire and apply what they know about digital technology for pedagogical purposes.

Explorer (A2)

Explorers are aware of the opportunities that digital technologies offer them and want to explore further to improve pedagogical and professional practices. They have started to apply digital technologies in some areas of digital competence, but they are not comprehensive and consistent in doing so. They need to be encouraged and offered inspiration and insight into examples of the work of colleagues, perhaps in the form of collaborative exchange of experiences.

Integrator (B1)

Integrators explore the possibilities of digital technologies in different contexts and for different purposes, incorporating them into the habits they have already developed. They use them creatively to enrich different aspects of their professional engagement and want to expand their repertoire even further. However, they do not yet fully understand which tools are most appropriate in certain situations, nor how to align individual digital technologies with pedagogical strategies and methods. They still need some time to become Experts. They will reach this level through experimentation and reflection, and through collaboration and knowledge exchange with colleagues.

Expert (B2)

4. ISTE standards

5. Conclusion

The development of teachers' digital competences is currently being examined through several international frameworks, of which we have covered the three most important ones here. ICT-CFT emphasises three levels: technological literacy, deepening knowledge and knowledge creation, and links them to six areas of teacher action, from curriculum and assessment to professional development. DigCompEdu, on the other hand, develops a detailed model of six competence areas and six levels of progression, offering teachers a clear professional development trajectory and the possibility of self-assessment and learning planning. The ISTE standards focus on teaching practice and students, emphasising the role of teachers as learning designers, facilitators and reflective practitioners.

From a teacher perspective, these frameworks offer a roadmap for personal development, encourage critical reflection on one’s own use of technology, and open space for innovative, inclusive and student-centered pedagogy. From a higher education institution perspective, the frameworks provide a strategic basis for educational planning, teacher competency assessment and institutional digital transformation. By combining different approaches, it is possible to build systems that simultaneously support teachers’ professional growth and strengthen the quality of education, making higher education institutions more resilient and competitive in a global digital environment.

All three frameworks, ICT-CFT, DigCompEdu and ISTE are applicable and useful in the context of higher education in the Republic of Croatia. Their alignment with European and international standards enables an integrated strengthening of teachers' digital competences at the individual and institutional levels. The application of these frameworks can significantly contribute to the development of high-quality, inclusive and digitally empowered teaching in Croatian higher education.