Challenges for Teachers’ and Students’ Digital Abilities: A Mixed Methods Design Study

Triana Aguirre, Leire Aperribai, Lorea Cortabarría, Emilio Verche and África Borges
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Triana Aguirre: Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
Leire Aperribai: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methodology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
Lorea Cortabarría: Department of Educational Sciences, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
Emilio Verche: Department of Psychology, Universidad Europea Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
África Borges: Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-9

Abstract: Digital education is a recently highlighted challenge for educational innovation. This study aimed to discover the educational conditions in which teachers and students may be involved during the pandemic, and how these may affect teachers’ workload and educational quality. A Mixed Methods Design was used, where quantitative and qualitative data were obtained and analyzed. An ad hoc questionnaire was created and sent to teachers of different levels of education (pre-university) and types of school (public and private). Predictive variables of working hours were analyzed by carrying out a multiple regression. Moreover, changes experienced by teachers were studied by analyzing qualitative data. The variables type of teaching, students’ access to electronic resources, and instant training in online teaching predicted teachers’ working hours. Furthermore, participants cited having changes in workload and being overwhelmed during this period, having less contact with students, and experiencing changes in working environment as the most important variables affecting the new working conditions. In conclusion, teachers’ training in online education and the provision of electronic resources for students should be a priority to make online learning possible, to avoid the problem of teachers needing to perform extra work in similar future conditions, and to foster educational innovation.

Keywords: digital education; teachers; students; resources; mixed methods design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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