Digital Competence among Araling Panlipunan Teachers in the Division of El Salvador City

Araling Panlipunan teachers' digital competence theorizes that transformative teaching practices and ongoing professional growth as the driving force behind enables educators to flourish in the digital era. This study aimed to determine the level of teachers' digital competence in teaching and professional development. Specifically, it accomplished three primary objectives on characterizing the respondents; examining teachers' digital competence in terms of teaching and professional development; and determining correlations between the respondents' profiles and their digital competence. The study involved one hundred sixty-four (164) Araling Panlipunan teachers, using a universal sampling method. A correlational-descriptive research design was employed, utilizing a patterned and modified questionnaire. Statistical tools such as means, frequency, standard deviation, and Pearson-r were employed to analyze the collected data, allowing for a comprehensive examination of the teachers' digital competence in teaching and professional development. Findings showed that majority of the respondents are handling Grade 1-3 with units in Master’s degree and have a teaching experience of 10 years or more. They have personal ownership of digital tools with daily internet and duration of ICT usage of 4-8 hours. The respondents have a high level of digital competence in teaching and professional development. There is a significant relationship between daily internet and duration of ICT usage and the respondents’ digital competence. It is important for teachers to be good at using digital tools. Teachers who actively engage in collaborative learning experiences using digital platforms and tools are more likely to enhance their digital competence and improve their teaching practices. It is recommended that teachers who have accrued credits in Master’s degree continue their pursuit of completing the program. Additionally, it is imperative for teachers to employ plagiarism detection software to thoroughly examine students’ work for any signs of plagiarism.