The problem with defining teachers’ digital competency for deep learning: a rhetorical absurdity

This conceptual paper interrogates the mismatch between policy rhetoric and classroom practice concerning teachers’ digital competence for deep learning. The notion of rhetorical absurdity is used as a conceptual lens to describe the recurring contradiction between competency frameworks that promise technology-enabled deep learning and the persistent difficulty of translating these frameworks into situated educational practice. In this paper we synthesise literature across learning sciences, educational technology and teacher professional learning, and present contemporary technological constellations of Generative Artificial Intelligence and hybrid learning spaces as illustrations of the complexities with technology integration for deep learning. We argue that many teacher competency lists risk reinforcing a checklist mentality rather than enabling adaptive, epistemic and ethical capacities required for deep learning. We conclude with two rejoinders that explore shifts from static competencies to dynamic capability models with local translation into authentic educational settings. This multi-authored paper represents a joint intellectual effort originating from a working group convened at the UNESCO EDUsummIT 2025 in Dublin, Ireland.