Development of the digital competence scale for social service practitioners

Abstract Despite the use of technology across various areas of social service and the necessity for practitioners to possess relevant technological knowledge and skills for technology-related services, gaps remain in assessing the digital competence of social service practitioners. This study aims to address the research gap by developing a Chinese digital competence measurement scale specifically tailored for social service practitioners. A survey was conducted, and 277 social service practitioners participated in the study. Results revealed a three-factor structure in the scale to assess digital competence, which includes technological knowledge and skills, technological will, and self-directed digital learning. The 16-item scale demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. The implications for social service organizations are significant, as they can use the scale to evaluate their practitioners’ digital competence levels and leverage the results to inform in-service training and digital development initiatives.