Beyond the tools: Digital teaching competence for educational transformation in vulnerable church-run schools in Esmeraldas, Ecuador
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56183/iberoeds.v6i2.723Palavras-chave:
digital teaching competence; pedagogical innovation; educational inclusion; digital leadership; vulnerable educational contexts; mission-based schools; educational transformation; TEFI Model; EsmeraldasResumo
Contemporary education systems have undergone significant changes as a result of digital transformation. Teaching, learning, and interaction within educational institutions have been transformed by the introduction of new media. It is in this context that teachers' digital competence has become increasingly strategic. This is a fundamental factor in pedagogical innovation, educational inclusion, and addressing the challenges of a digital society. However, in vulnerable environments, challenges persist due to technological limitations, territorial inequalities, and restricted resources for accessing training. These factors particularly affect mission-based institutions that play a vital social role, such as schools. The objective of this research was to investigate teachers' perceived digital competence as a strategic variable for educational change in at-risk contexts. Therefore, the dimensions, problems, and opportunities of digital competence among teachers in mission-based schools in Esmeraldas were discussed. Following the PRISMA 2020 recommendations, a structured literature review was conducted using a collection of databases including Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, ERIC, and Dialnet, encompassing scientific articles published in both Spanish and English between 2019 and 2026. The results indicate that teachers' digital competence is more than just instrumental mastery of technology; it serves as a driver of pedagogical innovation, educational inclusion, digital leadership, and institutional transformation. Barriers to connectivity, training, and the resources used were also identified. The main contribution is the introduction of the TEFI Model, designed to consolidate sustainable educational transformation processes in mission-driven organizations operating in fragile environments.
Referências
Barrios-del-Ángel, A. X., Jiménez-Ferretiz, L.-E., Silva-Lavín, H., Sánchez-Garza, M. N., Jiménez-Almaguer, K. P., & Reyna-Castillo, M. (2026). Digital Literacy Research for Teaching Excellence in Higher Education: A Bibliometric Perspective. Education Sciences, 16(2), 229. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020229
Candia López, Y., Adame Zambrano, T. de J., & Álvarez Hilario, V. (2026). Competencias digitales docentes y su relación con la brecha digital: Una revisión sistemática en el contexto de la educación media superior. Transdigital, 7(13), e589. https://doi.org/10.56162/transdigital589
Cueva-Torres, R. C., Peñuela-Jara, D. R., Castillo-Salazar, D. R., & Mora-Aguilar, L. E. (2025). Competencias digitales de docentes en la práctica educativa. RICEd: Revista De Investigación En Ciencias De La Educación, 1(1), 82-102. https://doi.org/10.53877/riced1.1-42
Diaz Carreño, J. A. (2025). Análisis sistemático y prospectivo del desarrollo de la competencia digital docente en el contexto latinoamericano. Miradas, 20(1), 11–29. https://doi.org/10.22517/25393812.25768
Espinosa Cevallos, P. A. (2023). Desarrollo de competencias digitales en docentes y estudiantes: retos y oportunidades. Revista Ingenio Global, 2(2), 55-67. https://doi.org/10.62943/rig.v2n2.2023.66
Filipović, R., & Dumančić, M. (2025). Digitalne kompetence in pedagoške tradicije v izobraževanju. Pedagoška Obzorja, 40(3-4), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.55707/ds-po.v40i3-4.199
García, M. G., Troche, D. C., Hamed, M. B., & Soto Varela, R. (2026). Generative AI Readiness in Public Higher Education: Assessing Digital Teaching Competence in Paraguay Through Machine Learning Models. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202604.0142.v1
Khademi-Vidra, A., Bakos, I.M. An Overview of the Digital Competencies of Teachers in the Hungarian Secondary Agricultural Vocational Training System. Tech Know Learn 30, 621–636 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-024-09766-x
Kerexeta Brazal, I., & Darretxe Urrutxi , L. . . (2023). ¿La competencia digital docente favorece la inclusión educativa?. RiiTE Revista Interuniversitaria De investigación En Tecnología Educativa, (14), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.6018/riite.548411
Kroff Trujillo, F. J., & Bellemans Fagalde, P. J. (2026). La competencia digital docente en educación superior: tensiones, enfoques y desafíos contemporáneos. Revista TSup (Transformación Superior), 2(1), 68-84. https://doi.org/10.53382/issn.2810-7977.41
Leiva Olivencia, J. J., Alcalá del Olmo Fernández, M. J., González Sodis, J. L., & Santos Villalba, M. J. (2024). Competencia digital docente y usabilidad de las TIC en centros educativos de alta complejidad. Prácticas y oportunidades para una transformación educativa inclusiva. Revista Electrónica Interuniversitaria De Formación Del Profesorado, 28(1), 33–47. https://doi.org/10.6018/reifop.639651
Ligarretto-Feo, R. E. (2024). Transformaciones educativas y desarrollo de competencias digitales docentes, durante la pandemia Covid-19. Revista Ciencias Pedagógicas E Innovación, 12(2), 101-114. https://doi.org/10.26423/rcpi.v12i2.766
López, Marielsa E, Arias-Sinchi, Michelle E, & Loaiza-Sánchez, Kelly P. (2025). Aproximación a la capacitación en competencias digitales de docentes en servicio en contextos de pobreza. Revista Espacios, 46(1), 148-157. Epub 24 de abril de 2025. https://doi.org/10.48082/espacios-a25v46n01p11
Llacza, A. D. M., & Trujillo, M. D. L. Ángeles S. (2025). Impact Of Digital Teaching Competence On The Quality Of Higher Education: A Literature Review. TPM – Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 32(S6 (2025): Posted 15 September), 839–854. Retrieved from https://tpmap.org/submission/index.php/tpm/article/view/1864
Llanes Cedeño, E. A. (2025). Competencias digitales docentes en el siglo XXI. Revista Cientifica Innovacion Educativa EduSciences, 1(1), 34–51. Recuperado a partir de https://revistas.unesum.edu.ec/edusciences/index.php/edusciences/article/view/3
Morales, D. M. C., Carvajal Morales, J. M., Turusina, M. A. C., Delgado, S. J. C., Romero Cardenas, E. J., & Cobos, J. D. V. (2026). The Pedagogical Transfer Chain in the DigCompEdu Framework from a Teacher-Reported Perspective: A Predictive Analysis Using PLS-SEM and ANN. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 10(6), 59. https://doi.org/10.3390/mti10060059
Nuri, N., Marwoto, P., Subali, B., Sulhadi, S., & Laos, L. E. (2025). the Mapping Digital Competence Research in Pre-Service Science Teacher Education through a Scopus-Based Bibliometric Analysis (2020–2025). ISEJ : Indonesian Science Education Journal, 7(1), 44-60. https://doi.org/10.62159/isej.v7i1.2215
Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2026). Innovación educativa e inclusión digital: fundamentos, prácticas y perspectivas contemporáneas / Palacios-Rodríguez, Antonio - Madrid : Dykinson, 2026 - 574 p. - Visiones de la tecnología educativa - ISBN: 9791370471392 - Permalink: https://digital.casalini.it/9791370471392 - Casalini id: 6214224
Riquelme-Plaza, I., & Marolla-Gajardo, J. (2026). Towards Digital Transformation in University Teaching: Diagnosis of the Level and Profile of Digital Competence Based on the DigCompEdu and OpenEdu Frameworks Among University Lecturers in Chile. Education Sciences, 16(2), 174. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16020174
Rubio-Gragera, M., Cabero-Almenara, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2023). Digital Innovation in Language Teaching—Analysis of the Digital Competence of Teachers according to the DigCompEdu Framework. Education Sciences, 13(4), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13040336
Vallejo-Heredia, M. I., Monar-Armijo, M. N., Quinatoa-Quinatoa, M. D. P., Analuisa-Yugcha, E. D., & Rivadeneira-Cevallos, M. G. (2025). Fortalecimiento De Las Competencias Digitales Docentes Y Su Impacto En La Innovación De Los Procesos Metodológicos Educativos. (2025). Revista Científica Multidisciplinaria Tsafiki, 2(2), 820-829. https://doi.org/10.70577/9s4ptm06
Vega-Padilla, F. R., Gallegos-Jiménez, S. del C., Verdezoto-Camacho, R. M., Caiza-Maiza, V. del R., & Montenegro-Venegas, P. F. (2026). Competencias digitales docentes y gestión del cambio: un enfoque desde la inclusión y gestión educativa. Revista Científica Ciencia Y Método, 4(1), 371-384. https://doi.org/10.55813/gaea/rcym/v4/n1/157
Yánez Izquierdo, D. L., González Gómez, J. D., & González Gómez, N. B. (2025). Competencias digitales del profesorado ante la integración de nuevas tecnologías. Technology Rain Journal, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.55204/trj.v4i1.e80
Downloads
Publicado
Como Citar
Edição
Seção
Licença
Copyright (c) 2026 Diego Mauricio Hurtado Sotalin, Byron Fernando Chere Quiñónez, Baster Ly Estupiñán Ortiz, Glenda Barbosa Quintero
Este trabalho está licenciado sob uma licença Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
