Abstract
This study investigated South African township teachers’ self-perceived digital competences using the European DigCompEdu framework as a benchmark for contextual adaptation. Adopting a positivist, cross-sectional, correlational quantitative design, data were collected through a structured self-evaluation questionnaire encompassing six dimensions: Professional Engagement (PE), Digital Resources (DR), Teaching and Learning (TL), Assessment (AS), Empowering Learners (EL), and Facilitating Learners’ Digital Competence (FLDC). Participants were drawn from non-fee-paying township schools in Johannesburg to explore how educators perceive and enact digital competence in resource-constrained environments.
Results from first- and second-order Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) indicated that the Professional Engagement dimension exhibited strong reliability and validity across all sub-components, Organisational Communication, Reflective Practice, Professional Collaboration, and Continuous Professional Development, confirming its hierarchical stability. In contrast, constructs such as Assessment and Empowering Learners showed weak model fit, suggesting that hierarchical relationships within DigCompEdu are context-dependent rather than universally stable.
Theoretically, the study extends the contextual generalisability of DigCompEdu by demonstrating its adaptability to low-connectivity and mobile-first education systems. Practically, it highlights the need to localise digital competence frameworks, formalise mobile-based teacher learning communities, and address infrastructural inequities that limit digital integration. The findings provide a foundation for equitable and context-responsive digital competence models applicable to the educational systems in developing countries, while offering insight for international benchmarking and policy alignment.