ICT-competence of university lecturers: diagnostics and development

The purpose of the study. This article is devoted to reveal the directions of development of lecturers’ information and communication technology (ICT) competences. The level of lecturers’ ICT-competence, feedback from students about efficiency of ICT using at the University, structure of lecturers’ ICT-competence and communicative competence correlation, lecturers’ demands in ICT-competence training were investigated.

Methods. Lecturers’ survey (questionnaire “ICT-using by University lecturers” by O. Chuvgunova), students’ survey (questionnaire “ICT at University: students’ feedback” by O. Chuvgunova), psychological test (“Communicative skills test” by L. Michelson), math statistics methods. Sample was formed from lecturers (N = 102) and students (N = 198) of St. Petersburg University.

Results. Results show that lecturers have high marks of base level and technological level of ICT competence. Lecturers have ICT literacy and can use ICT as a tool for communication with students. But professional level of the most part of participants’ ICT competence is not developed well enough. Hence, some lecturers cannot create and implement new instruments, methods into educational process through ICT.

The feedback from undergraduates demonstrates that students appreciate highly using ICT at their faculties. Respondents think that ICT improves the effectiveness of learning process. At the same time, it is important for students to take into account their individual characteristics and the optimal balance between virtual and “live” communication.

Study revealed positive correlation between indicators of ICT competence and communicative competence. Lecturers with high communicative competence have high level of ICT competence and high self-rating of their own ICT competence.

Lecturers are interested in ICT-competence training. Mostly, they use different courses and self-education. Most lecturers do not have a plan of their ICT-competence development.

Conclusion. The study found out such directions of lecturers’ ICT-competence development, as:

– using ICT as a resource of improvement of educational process, development of students’ intelligence and creativity;

– lecturers should take into account students’ individual features and students’ feedback through ICT using;

– enhancement of lecturers’ communicative competence as a necessary skill of interactive ICT using;

– efficiency increase of lecturers’ ICT competence training through permanent educational environment and consulting by ICT specialists. 

1. UNESCO ICT competency framework for teachers [Internet] 2011. URL: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002134/213475e.pdf. (Cited 28.12.2018).

2. Plastinin A.V. ICT competence of the teacher in the light of the requirements of the professional standard of the teacher. Vysshaya shkola na sovremennom etape: problemy prepodavaniya i obucheniya: Materialy regional’noy nauchno-metodicheskoy internet-konferentsii, Yaroslavskiy gosudarstvennyy pedagogicheskiy universitet im. K.D. Ushinskogo = Higher School at the present stage: problems of teaching and learning: Materials of the regional scientific and methodical Internet conference, Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University. KD Ushinsky. Yaroslavl: RIO YASPU; 2014: 101-106. (In Russ.)

3. Dochkin S.A. ICT competence of teachers as the basis for the modernization of additional professional education. Sibirskiy pedagogicheskiy zhurnal = Siberian Pedagogical Journal. 2009; 13: 50-59. (In Russ.)

4. Krivtsova S.V., Dostanova M.N., Knorre E.B., Klimova E.A., Kukushkin E.B., Makhortova G.KH. Podrostok na perekrestke epokh. Problemy i perspektivy sotsial’no-psikhologicheskoy adaptatsii podrostkov. = Teenager at the crossroads of eras. Problems and prospects of socio-psychological adaptation of adolescents. Moscow: Genesis; 1997. 288 p. (In Russ.)

5. Lim M.L. How Singapore teachers in a pioneer ‘School of the Future’ context ‘deal with’ the process of integrating information and communication technology into the school curriculum. The Australian Association for Research in Education. 2015; 42 (1): 69-96. doi:10.1007/s13384-014-0153-0

6. Wastiau P., Blamire R., Kearney C., Quittre V., van de Gaer E., Monseur C. The Use of ICT in Education: a survey of schools in Europe. European Journal of Education. 2013; 48 (1): 11- 27. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12020

7. Almerich G., Orellana N., Suarez- Rodriguez J., Diaz-Garcia I. (Teachers’ information and communication technology competences: A structural approach. Computer and education. 2016; 100: 110-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.05.002

8. Markauskaite L. Exploring the structure of trainee teachers’ ICT literacy: the main components of, and relationships between, general cognitive and technical capabilities. Educational Technology Research and Development. 2007; 55 (6): 547–572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-007-9043-8

9. CHuvgunova O.A., Kostromina S.N. Features of the information and communicative competence of teachers at St. Petersburg State University Anan’yevskiye chteniya-2014: Psikhologicheskoye obespecheniye professional’noy deyatel’nosti: materialy nauchnoy konferentsii= Ananyev readings-2014: Psychological support of professional activity: materials of a scientific conference, October 21-23; 2014 St. Petersburg: Skifia-Print; 2014: 201- 202. (In Russ.)

10. Gorbunova L.N., Lavrent’yeva I.V., TSvelyukh I.P. Model of advanced training of teachers with related training in information and communication technologies. Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta kul’tury i iskusstv = Bulletin of Moscow State University of Culture and Arts. 2008; 6: 117-121. (In Russ.)

11. Tondeur J., van Braak J., Siddiq F., Scherer R. Time for a new approach to prepare future teachers for educational technology use: Its meaning and measurement. Computer and education. 2016; 94: 134-150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.11.009