Dynamikker i lærerutdanneres profesjonsfaglige digitale kompetanse

(Publisert i Nordic Studies in Education, 45(3)) Open access

We have investigated the dynamics of Norwegian teacher educators’ professional digital competence at two teacher education institutions, using a mixed methods approach (online survey and follow-up interviews). Teacher educators use digital technology to enhance the pedagogical quality of learning activities, strengthening pre-service teachers’ professional digital competence, and efficiency. Teacher educators showed positive attitudes towards pedagogical use of digital technology and have high self-reported knowledge and skills regarding the use of digital technology. However, our findings indicate that there is a need to strengthen teacher educators’ professional digital competence regarding teaching about digital technology, rather than focusing on the use of digital technology. The quantitative survey data show that “knowledge & skills” is a significant predictor of teacher educators’ use of digital technology, and the qualitative interview data are used to explain why the teacher educators’ attitudes only serve as a predictor of digital technology use at one of the two teacher educator institutions in our study. Here, our study reveals a tension in the teacher educators’ agency, as the structure of study programs can alter their autonomy towards digital technology use, and we discuss this in relation to teacher educators’ application of professional digital competence within online education.