DIGI RISE DEXTERITY: OUTSTRIPPING EDUCATORS’

CHALLENGES IN THE NEW NORMAL

Abstract

For months now, our united efforts against the COVID- 19 pandemic are producing

promising results in defeating the unseen threat. As we continue to confront the issues

brought about by the world health emergency, the Department of Education (DepEd)

are addressing challenges in the basic education through the Learning Continuity Plan.

Hence, studying the challenges related to digital technology integration in teaching and

learning can assist teachers in outstripping issues and become an effective facilitator

using technology. The main purpose of the study is to identify the Teachers’ Proficiency

Level of Digital Competence and to what extent do teachers use digital tools, as well as

to determine the Teachers’ Perceptions and Perceived Challenges in Integrating Digital

Tools in Teaching and Learning Delivery in the new normal setting in Gabi National

High School, Compostela, Davao de Oro, S.Y. 2020- 2021. Overall, the teachers’

perceived challenges found to be significant in integrating digital technology were

identified. Previous studies delve into analysis and synthesis on the development of ICT

Competency Standards for teachers. The researchers used a modified-adopted survey

questionnaire based on 5 Point Likert Scale (5= always, 4= often, 3= sometimes, 2=

rarely, and 1 = never) originally designed by Ghavifekr, Kunjappan, et at., (2015) and

the Information and Communications Technology Framework for Teachers- based

survey questionnaire which is based on the 18 competencies organized according to

six(6) as aspects of teachers’ professional development, were taken through a three-

point Likert type scale (2 = I prefer, 1 = Neutral and 0 = don’t prefer). Contrary to what

has often been assumed, teachers’ proficiency and perceptions in integrating digital

tools has surpassed the challenges that is being faced nowadays. The outcome of this

research provides proper information and recommendations to those responsible or key

persons for integrating new technologies into the new normal teaching and learning

process.

Keywords: proficiency level, digital competence, perceive challenges, integrating digital tools

Introduction

“Successful integration of Information and Communications Technology into teaching

and learning requires rethinking the role of teachers in planning and applying

technology to enhance and transform learning. Education systems need to regularly

update and reform teacher preparation and professional development according,

ensuring that all teachers can harness technology for education. (UNESCO, 2018).

One of the most recent public health emergencies of global concern is the recent

COVID-19 pandemic, which started in China and almost infected every country in the

whole world. As of this time, the number of infections and deaths is still increasing

worldwide.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses challenges to various sectors, especially in responding

the basic rights. With the physical distancing and community quarantine being among

the measures to contain the COVID-19, basic education is among the sectors heavily

affected as schools and community learning centers are closed for physical conduct of

classes. (DepEd, 2020). The closure has affected more than 12 billion learners

worldwide with more than 28 million learners in the Philippines. As of July 16, 2020,

there are ________ cases and still increasing (DOH, 2020) with more than 13 million

worldwide. (Worldometer, 2020).

In response to this situations, educational leaders around the world have been

deploying distance learning solutions and grappling with complexity of provisioning

education remotely, from delivering content and supporting teachers to providing

guidance to families and addressing connectivity challenges (UNESCO,2020).

Technology nowadays has gone through innovations and positively changed our

societies that has totally reshaped the way people think, work and live (Grabe, 2007).

Because of this, school and educational institutions alike need to consider Information

and Communications Technology integration in the curriculum (Gravifekr, 2015).

Digital technology incorporation in education generally means technology-based

teaching and learning process that closely relates to the utilization of learning

technologies. Due to the fact that the learners are acquainted with technology and they

will learn better within technology-based environment, and ___% of the learners

population preferred to continue learning amidst Covid-19 Pandemic using either one or
combination of the learning modalities applicable to the learning community. In the new

normal curriculum, the use of digital technology in education contributes a lot in the

pedagogical aspects in which the application of Information and Communications

Technology will lead to effective learning with the aid of the digital elements and

components (Jamieson – Procter et al., 2013). It is right to say that almost all the

platforms of the learning modalities and ranges of subjects’ start from mathematics,

science, English, Technical- Vocational Livelihood, and other major fields can be

delivered and learned more effectively through technology-based instruction in this new

normal setting.

In the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) released D.O No. 012 s.

2020, dated June 19, 2020 titled “Adoptation of the Basic Education Learning

Continuity Plan for School Year 2020-2021 in Light of the COVID-19 Public Health

Emergency” in order to provide the clear guidance to all offices, unit schools, and

Community Learning Centers (CLCs). BE-LCP was developed as package of

education interventions that will respond to basic education challenges brought about

by COVID-19 pandemic. (DepEd 2020).

Given the anticipated disruptions in face- to- face holding of classes, and the need of

physical distancing, distance learning will be the major component of learning delivery

for the incoming school year. Technology solutions are very important in distance

learning. Technology in education has become no longer an option or a choice.

Teacher capacity is a core enabler in successfully integrating technologies in teaching

and learning and helping develop the necessary skills in the minds of students.

(UNESCO, 2020). Online platforms are regarded to be most advanced because of its

ability to facilitate various interactive and remote activities and carry a broad range of

content to a connected community. (DepEd 2020). Teachers are being challenged to

obtain necessary competencies to work online environments.

This is to say that despite all the efforts, most of the countries, including Philippines, are

facing similar issues whereby teachers are not maximizing the utilization of the

technology provided. Integrating ICT into teaching and learning is a complex process

and one that may encounter a number of difficulties. These difficulties are known as

“challenges” (Schoepp, 2005). A challenge is defined as “any condition that makes it

difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective’ (WordNet,1197, as cited in

Schoepp, 2005, p.2). The following have been identified by (______) as key barriers

regarding teachers’ use of digital tools: Insufficient number of computers, insufficient

number of internet-connected computers, insufficient bandwidth or speed, insufficient

number of interactive whiteboards, insufficient number of laptops/notebooks, School

computers out of data and/or needing repair, lack of adequate content/ material for

teaching, lack of content in national language, too difficult to integrate in ICT use into

curriculum, lack of pedagogical models on how to use ICT for learning, School time

organization (fixed lesson time etc.), School space organization (classroom size,

pressure to prepare students for exam and tests, most parents not in favor in favor of

using ICT in school, lack of interest in teachers, no or unclear benefit to use ICT for

teaching, and using ICT in teaching not being a goal in our school.
However, current research has shown that the level of this barrier differ from country to

country. In the developing countries like the Philippines, research reported that

teachers’ lack of technological competence is a main challenge to their acceptance and

adoption of ICT (Pelgrum, 2001);Al-Oteawi,2002) .This has become a serious matter as

many previous studies have proven the usage of Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning process could improve learners’ performance

(Nakayima, 2011, Jamieson – Proctor et al., 2013). Moreover, previous research

(Ghavifekr, 2015) shows that the extent teachers use ICT tools in teaching and learning

process is high.

Hence, the researchers are driven to determine the teachers’ proficiency level of digital

competence and to what extent do teachers use digital tools, as well as to determine

the teachers’ perceptions and perceived challenges in integrating digital tools in

teaching and learning delivery in the new normal setting.

Problem Statement
This study aims to identify the teachers’ proficiency level of digital competence and to

what extent do teachers use digital tools, as well as to determine the teachers’

perceived challenges in integrating digital tools in teaching and learning delivery in the

new normal setting. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of?

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

1.3 Years of teaching experience

1.4 Subject Taught

1.5 Preferred Teaching-Learning Modalities

2. What is the teachers’ proficiency level with regards to digital competence?

3. What are the perceptions in implementing digital tools in teaching and learning

among teachers in the new normal setting?

4. What are the challenges of integrating digital technology in teaching and learning

among teachers in the new normal setting?

5. To what extent do teachers use digital tools in teaching and learning delivery?

6. What is the significant relationship between the teachers’ proficiency level of

digital competence and the demographic profile (age, gender, years of teaching

experience, subject taught and preferred teaching-learning modes) of the

respondents?

7. What is the correlation between the teachers’ proficiency level of digital

competence and the challenges of integrating digital technology in teaching and

learning among teachers in the new normal setting?

 8. What is the correlation between the teachers’ extent of using digital technology in

the teaching – learning process and the teachers’ perceived challenges?

Theoretical Framework

This study is anchored on the theory of ‘action relating to reasons’ developed by Davis,

Bagozzi and Warshaw (1989) so called Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Later

based on their work, Venkatesh and Davis (2000) investigated the reasons people use

computers and their attitudes towards them that called TAM 2. The model links the

perceived usefulness and ease of use with attitude towards using digital tools and

actual use (system use). According to Venkatesh and Davis (2000) when teachers are

presented with a new technology, key factors would influence their decision from the

extended variables around them about how and when they will use it. First, external

variables which represents the challenges (limited accessibility and network connection,

limited digital tools or facilities, lack of effective training, limited time and lack of teacher’

digital competency) that teachers face that come from outside their sphere of control

when integrating a new technology in their teaching and learning process. Second,

Perceived usefulness (PU) which represents the degree to which they believe that using

a technology would enhance their job performance. If teachers feel there is no need to

question or change their professional practice then, according to studies, they are

unlikely to adopt the use of digital tools. However, if they perceive digital tools to be

useful to them, their teaching and their learners’ learning, then according to the
empirical evidence of previous studies (Cox, Preston & Cox, 1999) they are more likely

to have a positive attitude to using information and communications technology in

teaching – learning delivery. The following factors have been identified as key elements

to teachers’ perceived usefulness of digital tools: work more quickly, increased job

performance, increased productivity, effectiveness, useful to teaching-learning

curriculum. Third, Perceived ease‐of‐use (PEOU) which represents the degree to which

they believe that using a system would be free from effort. Previous studies have

identified number of factors relating to the perceived ease of use of ICT, in study on

experienced practicing ICT users. The Impact projects (Watson, 1993) and other

studies identified a wide range of skills and competencies which teachers felt they

needed in order to find digital technology easy to use. Some of these are: easy to learn,

clear and understandable, easy to use, controllable, and easy to remember. Fourth,

attitude toward use which teacher’s positive or negative feeling about performing the

target behavior

(e.g., using a system). Basically, teachers’ attitudes too many of these factors will

depend upon how easy they perceive using digital tools to be on a personal level as

well as for teaching in the new normal setting. Fifth, behavioral intention which is the

degree the teacher has formulated conscious plans to perform or not perform some

specified future behavior. Lastly, Social influence processes (subjective norm,

voluntariness, and image) and cognitive instrumental processes (job relevance, output

quality, result demonstrability, and perceived ease of use) as determinants of perceived

usefulness and usage intentions. Basically, the updated version of TAM 2 consists of

additional determinants that are social influence

process and cognitive instrumental processes of perceived usefulness and usage

intentions.

Moreover, the researchers considered another framework that supports teachers’

digital competence is the Information and Communications Technology – Competency

Framework for Teachers developed by United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2018) which is consist of 18 competencies organized

according to the six (6) aspects of teachers’ professional aspects: understanding ICT in

education, policy, curriculum and assessment, pedagogy, application of digital skills,

organization and administration and teacher professional learning over the three (3)

levels of teachers’ pedagogical use of ICT: knowledge acquisition, knowledge

deepening, and knowledge creation. The underlying idea is that teachers who have

competencies to use digital technology in their professional practice will deliver quality

education and ultimately be able to effectively guide the development of learners in

whatever teaching-learning modality or platform they will select and or applicable to

them, as well as the learning materials to utilize in the new normal educational setting.

Conceptual Framework
The study illustrates through Input-Process-Output (IPO) model as its research

paradigm. Applying the general concepts where the researchers anchored the study.

Figure 1 illustrates the conceptual framework of the study. The first box pertains to the

teachers’ proficiency level of digital competence and the perceived challenges of

educators using technology in the new normal curriculum. The second box refers to the

process which contains the collection of data, presentation of data, treatment of data,

analysis and interpretation of data. The last box is the output, enhanced teachers’ digital

competence, effective teaching-learning delivery, eased teachers’ challenges of

technology integration in teaching-learning delivery.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Teachers’
Demographic Enhanced Teachers’
Profiles Digital Competence
Collection of Data
Teachers’ Effective Teaching-
Presentation of Data
Proficiency Level of Learning Delivery
Digital Competence Treatment of Data
Eased Teachers’
Teaching-Learning Analysis Challenges of
use of Digital tools Technology
Interpretation of
Integration in
Perceived Data
Teaching- Learning
challenges of Delivery
educators

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

Review of Related Literature/Studies

This section provides the review of related literature and scholarly articles that support

teachers’ proficiency level of digital competence, the use of digital tools in the new

normal teaching- learning approaches and the perceived challenges faced by the

educators in the utilization of digital technologies in the effective teaching-learning

delivery amidst Covid-19 Pandemic.

The need for digital technology integration in the new normal teaching-learning

The importance of Information and Communications Technology in education teacher

training was asserted at the 2015 World Education Forum (held in Incheon), which

declared that ‘ICT must be harnessed to strengthened education systems, knowledge

dissemination, information access, quality and effective teaching-learning process and

more service provision.’

The 2015 Qingdao Declaration, at the International Conference on ICT and Post- 2015

Education, further reiterated the importance of the professional development of teachers

to effectively integrate ICT into their work, stating:

“Successful integration of ICT into teaching and learning requires rethinking the

role of teachers and reforming their perception and professional development. It

calls for promoting a culture of quality in all its aspects: staff support, student

support, curricula design, course design, course delivery, strategic planning and

development. We will therefore ensure that teacher-training institutions are

equipped and prepared to use ICT adequately to expand the benefits of training
 and professional development programs to all teachers, and to act as the

vanguard for technology-support innovations in education. We also commit to

providing teachers with system-wide support for the pedagogical use of ICT, to

incentivize teacher innovation, and to develop networks and platforms that allow

teachers to share experiences and approaches that may be use to peers and

other stakeholders.”

The Department of Education in the Philippines developed the Deped Order No. 012,

series of 2020, Adoption of the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan for School

Year 2020-2021 in Light of the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency. Basic Education

Learning Continuity Plan (BE- LCP) is a package of education interventions that will

respond to basic education challenges brought about by Covid-19 Pandemic. As stated

in the second principles presented under the BE – LCP, ensuring learning continuity

through K-12 Curriculum adjustments, alignment of learning materials, deployment of

multiple learning delivery modalities, provision of corresponding training for teachers

and school leaders, and proper orientation of parents or guardians of learners.

Furthermore, as part of the mechanisms for readiness for school opening on August 24,

2020, a Learning Resources and Platforms Committee is hereby created by the

Department of Education to ensure that appropriate learning resources of good quality

are made available, and that the necessary platforms or technologies (printed, digital

online and offline, television, and radio) are engaged or made available in a timely and

efficient manner.

Information and Communication Technology Framework for Teachers

The framework should be integrated to teachers’ professional development consisting

three (3) phases: pre-service which is focusing on initial preparation on pedagogy,

subject matter knowledge, management skills and use of various teaching tools

including digital tools and resources; in service which includes structured face-to-face

and distance training opportunities building upon pre-service programs and directly

relevant to teaching needs; and on-going formal and informal pedagogical and technical

support, enabled by ICTs, for teachers’ innovative use of ICT to address daily needs

and to facilitate students’ higher-order learning.

Digital literacy or digital competence

Terms such as ‘information literacy’ (Zurkowski 1974), ‘computer literacy’ (Tsai 2002),

‘internet literacy’ (Harrison 2017), ‘media literacy’ (Christ and Potter 1998) and recently,

‘multi-modal literacy’ (Heydon 2007) have all been associated with effective use of

digital resources in teaching and learning, and have been promoted as components of

an inclusive view of digital literacy (Grusczynska and Pountney 2013). As Helsper

(2008) identifies, reaching a singular definition of digital literacy is challenging, due to

constantly evolving technological, cultural and societal landscapes redefining what,

when and how digital technologies are used in personal and professional activities.

In terms of education, producing digitally literate educators has generally meant the

prioritization of technical skills in using digital tools and systems deemed appropriate
to educational settings and identifying how these can be used within areas of learning.

This approach assumes that doing this, “equips preservice teachers with a set of basic

competencies they can transfer to their future classroom practice” (Admiraal et al. 2016,

p. 106). However, these approaches have been criticized for their narrow skills focus,

lack of authenticity, failure to take account of different sociocultural contexts for

technology use, and their ineffective, reductive design (Gruszczynska, et al. 2013; Lim

et al. 2011; Lund et al. 2014; Ottestad et al. 2014). Others have identified limitations in

their overly technical approach that ignores wider considerations, including ethical,

digital citizenship, health, wellbeing, safety and social/collaborative elements (Foulger et

al. 2017; Hinrichsen and Coombs 2013).

In considering the nature of general digital competence, Janssen et al. comment that:

…digital competency clearly involves more than knowing how to use

devices and applications… which is intricately connected with skills to

communicate with ICT, as well as information skills. Sensible and healthy

use of ICT requires knowledge and attitudes regarding legal and ethical

aspects, privacy and security, as well as understanding the role of ICT in

society and a balanced attitude towards technology…

(Janssen et al. 2013, p. 480).

While this conceptualization acknowledges the relevance and importance of technical

knowledge and skills, it adopts a wider socio-cultural stance by signaling the need to
understand and consider broader implications and effects of digital technologies on

individuals and society. It also introduces dispositional and attitudinal elements—or

what Janssen et al. (2013) terms developing a “mind-set” (p. 474) towards technological

innovations, in order to better understand and critically appraise their role and influence

in forming new practices. This represents a considerable challenge for teacher

educators, who not only need to better support their students to more effectively utilize

digital resources in their future classrooms, but must also help them understand and

develop a concern for broader considerations around technology use, and its impacts.

Additionally, the notion of competence implies a need for constant revision, reflecting

changes to technological systems and uses that, “take into account the evolving nature

of technologies” (Janssen et al. 2013, p. 474). This requires teacher educators to

constantly reflect on current capabilities and needs and where necessary access

professional learning, responding to rapidly changing educational environments and

opportunities afforded by emerging technology innovations.

Teachers’ Digital Technology Utilization

Challenges in using digital tools in teaching-learning process

Integrating Information and Communications Technology into teaching-learning delivery

is a complex process and one that may encounter number of difficulties. These

difficulties are known as “challenges” (Schoepp, 2005). A challenge is defined as “any

condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective” (WordNet,

1997, as cited in Schoepp, 2005, p.2). The following are some of the key challenges

identified:

a. Limited accessibility and network connection

Several research studies indicate that lack of access to resources, including home

access, is another complex challenge that prevent teachers from integrating new

technologies into education. Various research studies indicated several reasons for the

lack of access to digital technology.