THE ESSENTIAL DIGITAL COMPETENCIES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS AT THE PRIMARY STAGE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS

Abstract

The Essential Digital Competencies for Social Studies Teachers at the Primary Stage and Foresight for Development

This study aims to identify the essential digital competencies required for social studies teachers at the primary education level. To achieve this objective, the researcher employed an analytical descriptive methodology, commencing with a comprehensive review of pertinent educational literature and prior studies addressing the integration of technology and artificial intelligence in teaching practices.

Informed by this theoretical framework, a research instrument was constructed around three core domains: Digital Knowledge, Digital Skills, and Digital Safety. Each domain consisted of ten items designed to evaluate the teachers' digital capabilities. The instrument was subsequently presented to a panel of experts in psychological and educational sciences to establish its validity. Utilizing the Chi-square (χ²) test, a consensus rate of 80% was achieved, confirming the instrument's validity for its intended purpose.

The validated questionnaire was administered to a sample of 297 social studies teachers (both male and female) from public and private primary schools in the Babil Governorate. After data collection, the instrument's reliability was ascertained, yielding a high reliability coefficient of 0.82 as calculated by Cronbach's Alpha.

The findings revealed a deficiency in the digital knowledge and digital skills competencies among the social studies teachers. In contrast, the results indicated that their proficiency in digital safety measures was at an acceptable level, particularly when compared to the other domains.

Based on these results, the study concludes by presenting a series of conclusions, practical recommendations, and proposals for future development