Factors Shaping The Gender Divide In Digital Competence Among Secondary School Teachers In Larkana

Abstract

The teachers have a crucial responsibility to transform knowledge and skills to the next generation. In the digital era, the integration of digital competency among teachers is essential to effective teaching practices. The current study assessed the gender divide in digital competency among the secondary (public and mid-tier private) school teachers in the district of Larkana, Pakistan.  A quantitative survey design was employed and the data were collected from 256 teachers (128 from mid-tier private schools and 128 from public sector secondary schools), and accessing an adapted Faculty Information and Communication Technology Access (FICTA) scale, consisting of 18 items on five-point Likert scale. Three digital skills i.e. operational- informational- strategic were evaluated focusing on digital competency. The regression analysis reveals a statistically significant influence of these three digital skills on the gender difference in digital competency. The study recommends investigating additional factors such as the experiences of teachers with digital skills, strategic approaches to study, and the influence of adopting technology on students’ cognitive skills.

Keywords: Digital Competence, Gender Divide, ICT in Education, Secondary school teachers, Larkana