Teachers’ Digital Competence and its Relationship with Teacher Effectiveness at Higher Education Level in Punjab

Digitalization in higher education involves using digital tools for administration, teaching, evaluation, research, and extension activities. The proficiency of educators in digital skills is imperative for achieving optimal teaching outcomes. This study endeavors to examine the correlation between teachers' digital proficiency and their effectiveness in instructional delivery within public sector universities situated in Punjab. Additionally, it seeks to ascertain whether there exist noteworthy variances in teachers' digital proficiency based on demographic factors. Employing a quantitative survey method, this research adopts a descriptive research approach. The investigation was conducted across public sector universities in the province of Punjab, with three universities selected through convenience sampling. A total of 370 teachers were randomly chosen from these institutions to participate in the study. Standard research instruments were utilized for data collection, while statistical software SPSS facilitated data analysis to derive conclusions. Descriptive statistics were computed, followed by correlation analysis, simple linear regression, and independent sample t-tests to interpret the findings. The results revealed a substantial association between teachers' digital proficiency and their efficacy in higher education. The study also found that teachers' digital competence and effectiveness are moderate in nature. There was no significant difference in digital competence based on gender, experience, age group, academic qualification, and training. The study concluded that educators in higher education have the capacity to acquire the requisite knowledge, skills, and proficiency to augment their digital competence and instructional efficacy in an increasingly technology-driven environment. Nonetheless, the research identified certain constraints and proposed avenues for future investigation.