Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The rapid development of information and communication technologies gradually increases the importance of digital transformation in education. This transformation has made it mandatory for teachers to have digital competences, and in this regard, many national and international organizations have created various frameworks for teacher digital competences. Teachers' development of these competences is critical in creating productive learning environments using renewed teaching and learning strategies. The digital competence experiences of preservice teachers, who are the future teachers, affect their use of technology in their professional lives. Therefore, taking steps to determine and improve digital competence levels is important in identifying and eliminating deficiencies in teacher education. For these purposes, the applicability of the digital competence scale developed by Gümüş and Kukul (2023) on preservice teachers was tested within the scope of the study. The original scale, which consisted of 46 items and had a 6-factor structure, was reduced to a 39-item and 5-factor structure as a result of exploratory factor analysis conducted with the data of 330 participants. It was found that the factors explained 62.35% of the total variance. Then, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with 514 participants, and the scale was proven valid and reliable. The final fit values obtained are [x2/df=2.394; GFI=.909; NFI=.922; CFI=.953; RMSEA=.052; RMR=.033; SRMR=.043]. As a result, the scale comprising 25 items and five factors is presented as a valid and reliable tool for measuring the digital competence of preservice teachers. It is thought that the scale will also contribute to teacher training programs' updating and development processes.
Institution: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7123683473