Early childhood education teachers’ perceptions of pedagogical competence 4.0 in supporting early childhood development

The transformation of education in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 requires early childhood education (ECE) teachers to possess pedagogical competence that encompasses learning innovation, creativity, social interaction, and the use of information and communication technology (ICT). This study aims to investigate differences in Pedagogical Competence 4.0 levels among ECE teachers based on educational attainment, teaching experience, professional certification, training intensity, and ICT proficiency. Pedagogical Competence 4.0 refers to teachers' integrated abilities encompassing learning innovation through digital technology, creativity in student-centered approaches, effective social interaction, and reflective implementation of technology-enhanced pedagogy. Involving 351 ECE teachers across Sulawesi, data were collected through a validated closed-ended questionnaire using a cross-sectional design and analysed using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc Scheffé tests. The results show that educational attainment, professional certification, training intensity, and ICT proficiency significantly influence all dimensions of Pedagogical Competence 4.0. In contrast, teaching experience does not show a significant effect. Teachers with postgraduate education, professional certification, intensive training, and high ICT proficiency demonstrated the highest competence scores. These findings underscore the importance of continuous education, technology-based training, and digital literacy in strengthening ECE teachers' pedagogical capacity to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of digital pedagogy in early childhood education by providing empirical evidence for the TPACK framework adaptation in Indonesian context. Limitations include geographic restriction to Sulawesi and cross-sectional design preventing causal inference.