Factors influencing digital competence of pre-service teachers in Makerere University, Uganda

Abstract

This study aimed at determining the relationship between digital competences of pre-service teachers and their Gender, program, year of study and prior ICT knowledge. A cross-sectional survey model was used in the study considering 331 pre-service teachers of Bachelor of Science with Education and Bachelor of Arts with Education in 1st and 3rd years of study at Makerere university. The study used a self-administered digital competence questionnaire as a data collection tool which was adopted from a study by Cebi & Reisoglu, 2020. The findings of the study indicate that the digital competence of pre-service teachers was moderate with males having higher mean scores in the 5 categories of digital competence but both genders showed high competence when it came to the category of information and data literacy, although there was no significant difference between the means of the two genders, the 3rd years also had higher scores than the year ones although, there was also no significant difference, similarly the BAED students had more scores than the BSED students. When the regression tests were carried out to predict how the digital competence of pre-service teachers varied with their gender, year of study, program and prior ICT knowledge, it was found out that there was no significant relationship between them. This study can act as a guide for the policy makers to adjust the training process of pre-service teachers bearing in mind the rapidly changing classroom environment and Globalization of education so as to produce teachers who are ready for the digital world as a way to improve the teaching of science.