Promoting Sustainable Medical Education Through Digital Competence: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Sabina Ličen () and Mirko Prosen
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Sabina Ličen: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia
Mirko Prosen: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310 Izola, Slovenia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-13

Abstract: The increasing digitalisation of medical education requires teachers to have a broad range of competences that go beyond basic technical knowledge. This pilot cross-sectional study assessed the self-perceived digital competence of medical faculty members and examined differences by professional role, experience and gender. Of 298 eligible staff, 48 participated (response rate 16.1%), including 19 women (39.6%) and 29 men (60.4%). The data was collected via an online survey using the validated Digital Competence Scale for University Teachers, which comprises four subscales: digital literacy, digital skills, digital interaction and technology integration. The overall median score indicated a generally high level of self-perceived digital competence, with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals confirming this pattern. Assistant professors achieved higher scores in all subscales than associate and full professors. Self-perceived digital competence was positively correlated with participation in structured training, higher interest and frequency of use of digital tools, while age and teaching experience were negatively correlated. The findings suggest unequal levels of self-perceived digital competence across the academic status and highlight the positive association of self-perceived digital competence with participation in targeted, practical and inclusive training programmes.

Keywords: sustainable education; medical education; university teachers; faculty development; digital teaching (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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