Necessary digital competencies of preschool teachers in Austria

The aim of this paper is to identify specific digital competencies that preschool teachers require, compared with schoolteachers, to extend the Austrian digital competence model for teachers, digi.kompP. Methodologically, the study is based on interviews with Austrian experts in early childhood education, media pedagogy, computer science, and preschool teacher education. The expert interviews addressed the digital competencies required by preschool teachers, differences compared with schoolteachers, the timing and nature of competence development, and the institutions involved. As a result of this study, sixteen new can-do statements were developed for the expansion of the existing digi.kompP model, which maps the specific competencies required by teachers in Austria. The findings of this study also provide valuable insights for the development of training and further education programs, emphasizing the critical need to integrate digital education into the curricula of vocational training and further education programs for preschool teachers. Furthermore, this study presents compelling arguments for the promotion of digital education in early childhood education and demonstrates the necessity for a collaborative strategy for digital education at the preschool level.