Maltese primary teachers’ digital competence: implications for continuing professional development

Learning with technology during primary school years will equip students with dispositions to continue learning with evolving technology throughout their lifetime and it is the responsibility of the teacher to develop this digital competence (DC) in the classroom. The aim of this research was to investigate Maltese primary class teachers’ DC and to recommend new training on technology integration in teaching practices. Semi-structured individual interviews with 26 primary teachers (23 females and three males) and the teaching material used in the classroom were the sources of data in this study. Directed content analysis was applied, where a new area in DC, the creation of modes of communication, was revealed. Recommendations for teacher training in the areas of DC are suggested.