The impact of digital technologies on the professional development of teachers: an educators' perspective

Using digital platforms has become an integral part of teaching-learning however, entails educators/teachers to possess specific skills and competencies for effective and efficient delivery. The study attempts to empirically validate the educator's perspective on the post-pandemic adoption of digital platforms and its impact on their professional development. A conceptual model is proposed based on the literature review. To test the model empirically data from 279 respondents was collected. For data analysis the IBM AMOS 22.0 software was used in two steps - confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM). The study's empirical results reveal that digital technologies in pedagogy, digital competence, and technical and administrative support positively and significantly impact professional development. However, the other variables, i.e., professional learning and flexibility, do not significantly impact professional development. The results revealed that teachers' level technological skills and competence mediates between digital technologies in pedagogy and professional development.