Laia Alguacil Mir and Cristina Mercader, members of CRiEDO, have published the article “Bridging the gap in organizational digital competence: analysis of five key dimensions in schools.”
The study addresses a key issue in the development of digital competence in education: the need to strengthen not only teachers’ and students’ digital competences, but also the organizational capacities of educational institutions. To this end, the research examines the organizational digital competence of public preschool and primary schools in Catalonia through five dimensions: institutional approach, digital infrastructure, relational system, management, and digital culture.
The study is based on a self-administered questionnaire that provides a dual assessment of each of these dimensions by comparing schools’ current situation with their desired state. This approach offers a detailed diagnosis of both the strengths and the improvement needs perceived by educational teams.
The findings show that most schools have adequate technological resources, both in terms of hardware and software. However, significant differences emerge across all organizational dimensions analysed. The main needs relate to issues such as the time available for professional collaboration, the existence of stable coordination structures, the availability of specialized staff, and the consolidation of a shared digital culture.
The conclusions highlight that strengthening organizational digital competence requires comprehensive strategies that go beyond technological infrastructure. In this regard, the study emphasizes the importance of strengthening leadership, coordination, specialized roles, and institutional culture as key elements for advancing the digital transformation of educational institutions.
Read the full article here.
