Digital Literacy and Professional Engagement of Early Childhood Educators: Impact on Teaching Performance

Digital literacy has emerged as an essential competency for 21st-century educators, contributing to enhanced instructional quality and improved student learning outcomes. This study investigated the influence of digital literacy and professional engagement on the teaching performance of Kindergarten and Grade 1 educators. To ensure statistical representativeness, a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was employed to examine the levels of digital literacy, professional engagement, and teaching performance among 119 early-grade teachers selected through the Taro Yamane formula. Three validated instruments were utilized: the Classroom Observation Tool (COT) to assess instructional performance, the Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) to measure digital proficiency, and the Teacher Engagement Scale for Professional Development (SITES-PD) to evaluate professional engagement. Instrument reliability was confirmed through pilot testing, with all tools demonstrating acceptable internal consistency as measured by Cronbach’s Alpha. Findings indicated that participants exhibited very high levels of digital literacy and professional engagement. Correspondingly, their teaching performance was rated very high, reflecting their mastery of evidence-based instructional strategies. Multiple regression analysis revealed that digital literacy and professional engagement significantly predicted teaching performance. Between the two, professional engagement emerged as the stronger predictor. These results underscore the importance of fostering educators' professional growth and digital competence to enhance instructional effectiveness. The study recommends developing institutional policies that promote digital literacy and ethical technology use, providing continuous professional development programs, and integrating communication, critical thinking, and technology-based instructional strategies in classroom practice.