Technology ıntegration in pedagogical processes: digital competence and teaching practices of primary school teachers in Turkey

This study provides a critical and contextual analysis of technology integration and digital transformation in education by examining classroom teachers’ perceptions of digital competencies and their application in pedagogical processes. A review of the existing literature reveals that research on teachers’ digital competencies and technology integration has been predominantly quantitative, with limited qualitative studies offering in-depth insights into pedagogical contexts and cultural variations. While digital competencies are generally assessed within universal frameworks, their direct implications for classroom practices and the tangible transformations they bring to educational processes remain underexplored. There is a pressing need for more comprehensive studies, particularly on integrating digital skills into pedagogical processes and their impact on classroom interactions. Employing a qualitative research design, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with 78 classroom teachers working in a metropolitan area, selected through purposive and maximum diversity sampling techniques. The findings indicate that teachers primarily utilize digital tools for enhancing presentation-based instructional materials, whereas their use in data management, collaborative activities, and assessment and evaluation processes remains limited. Regarding digital content production, teachers predominantly rely on pre-existing materials, a trend attributed to insufficient technological proficiency, inadequate infrastructure, and time constraints. The study underscores the critical role of targeted professional development programs in equipping teachers with digital pedagogical competencies. It emphasizes that technology integration should be structured to facilitate interactive and collaborative learning rather than merely focusing on using digital tools.