Social inclusion as a perspective for the validation of the "DigCompEdu Check-In" questionnaire for teaching digital competence

Educ Inf Technol (Dordr). 2022 Sep 23:1-22. doi: 10.1007/s10639-022-11273-4. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Making use of digital technologies and all the possibilities that benefit education is one of the objectives of the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators, as well as their potential for personal development and social inclusion, among other aspects. The aim of this study was to validate the «DigCompEdu Check-In» scale as an instrument for the self-reflection of educators regarding their digital competence from the perspective of social inclusion. This questionnaire provides a more accurate view of the digital competence framework and allows self-evaluating the strengths and weaknesses/needs of educators in digital learning. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed, using structural equations. The study sample consisted of 2,262 faculty members from different public universities of Andalusia (Spain). The obtained results show the reliability and validity of the instrument and allow generating accurate scientific knowledge for the improvement of education quality and social inclusion, in both university and non-university institutions.

Keywords: Digital competence; ICT; Social inclusion; Structural equation method; University teaching.