VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TEACHERS' PEDAGOGICAL DIGITAL COMPETENCE.

NETHERLANDS; FINLAND

Digitalization poses challenges for VET teachers in delivering high-quality, work-oriented education to diverse student populations. It also brings forth new dimensions in VET teachers' pedagogical digital competences, which have not received much research attention despite their crucial role in preparing employees for the future workforce. The aim of this study is to contribute to the research on VET teachers' digital competences by presenting the findings of an international study and having a particular focus on pedagogical digital competences (PDC). This study utilized data gathered through a web-based survey of 218 VET teachers from four European countries: Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain (Catalonia). Convenience sampling was used to gather data and ensure representation from various professional fields. VET teachers' responses were analyzed quantitatively with IBM SPSS Statistics assessing means and sum variables across seven sub-areas based on Likert-scale statements. The results indicate VET teachers self-assessing their PDC in the selected sub-areas above the average level. Out of the seven sub-areas, the building interaction and teamwork for online teaching received the highest score. The sub-areas involving feedback and assessment and web content production were assessed as the lowest. The remaining sub-areas: planning online teaching, guidance in online environments and developing one's digital competences received equal scores. The findings indicate VET teachers, aged 35 or younger, assess their competences higher that their older colleagues, and those with less than 10 years of teaching experience assess their competences higher than more experienced teachers. Also, teachers with two or more years of online teaching experience reported higher competence levels compared to those with less experience. The findings indicate that younger VET teachers (35 years or younger) and those with less than 10 years of teaching experience displayed slightly higher pedagogical digital competences than the other groups, possibly indicating a generational shift among teachers. However, longer experiences in VET does not seem to diminish teachers' competences; instead, they remain at similar levels and can be effectively transferred to online teaching environments even after 20 or more years of teaching. Based on the findings, the most effective approach to enhancing VET teachers' pedagogical digital competence development is to provide them with opportunities to gain experience in online teaching. Therefore, we encourage VET teachers, irrespective of their demographic backgrounds, to build confidence in digital learning environments, for example by pair-teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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