The digitally competent teacher: agentic professional in the digital age or digitally compliant learning technician?

Oliver McGarr, Keith Johnston and Alison Egan

Chapter 10 in Reimagining Teacher Digital Competence, 2025, pp 141-150 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter explores how the different responses to the digital transformation agenda in education can have significant implications for teachers and teachers’ digital competence. It argues that digital competence can be conceptualized in a compliance-oriented way or a professionally empowering way. A compliance-oriented perspective on teachers’ digital competence focuses on developing teachers’ technological know-how, often viewing teachers’ professional knowledge through a technology lens and promoting a ‘learning technician’ role. This approach risks eroding teachers’ autonomy, professional judgement and status. Conversely, an empowerment-oriented perspective values teachers’ deep knowledge base and professional autonomy, encouraging them to critically engage with digital transformation guided by their educational values. This perspective promotes proactive responses to technology in education, rather than more reactionary responses. This chapter also explores the shifting role of the teacher in light of broader societal and educational changes. It suggests reframing the question of ‘What is a digitally competent teacher?’ to ‘What is a professional teacher in a digital age?’

Keywords: Digitally competent teacher; Learning technician; Professional educator; Professional agency; Professional autonomy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035337507
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