A MIXED METHODS INVESTIGATION ON THE TECHNOLOGY PROFICIENCY OF FACULTY IN A LOCAL COLLEGE

This convergent parallel mixed-methods study investigates the lived experiences of faculty members concerning technology proficiency. The participants of the study were the 87 faculty members, who were selected for quantitative data utilizing stratified data sampling. For the qualitative data, there were 14 participants: seven for in-depth interviews and seven for focus group discussions, which were purposefully selected. Results revealed the experiences of the participants: integrating technology in instruction for effective students’ engagement, encountering difficulty in the implementation of instruction due to limited internet access and resources, feeling inadequate and lacking proficiency in mastering technology use and facing limited professional association with technology and time constraints. In response to the challenges they have encountered, they deemed the following coping strategies essential: empowering oneself to technology fluency by embracing responsibility, collaboration and adaptability, engaging in diverse learning programs and caring out time for technological skill enhancement and maintaining proficiency in technological use while mastering basic skills. Upon reflecting on their entire experience, they arrived at the following insights: fostering adaptability, innovation and proficiency is essential in tech-driven teaching, collaborative learning enhances professional growth and empowering faculty by facilitating access, support and training for effective technology utilization. Based on the results of the study, it was determined that faculty members always manifest in technology proficiency. The results from the quantitative and qualitative analyses converged when they were corroborated. The results of this study were anticipated to be meaningful and important to the participants, teachers, students, and researchers in educational settings. KEYWORDS: Technology Proficiency, Faculty Members, Mixed Methods, Teaching, Technology Integration