Profiling Teachers’ Digital Competence in the Dominican Republic: A Cluster Analysis of Professional and Demographic Variables

The development of teachers’ digital competence has become a key issue in contemporary education systems, particularly in contexts where technology integration remains uneven. This study aims to profile teachers’ digital competence through a cluster analysis based on pedagogical digital competence, digital integration, and contextual conditions, and to examine its relationship with selected professional and demographic variables. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was employed with a sample of 299 teachers from Educational District 16-02 in the Dominican Republic. Data were collected using a questionnaire based on the DigCompEdu framework. The internal consistency of the instrument was assessed, and principal component analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation was applied to the nine composite dimension scores for dimensionality reduction, yielding a three-component solution. Subsequently, cluster analysis (hierarchical and k-means) was conducted to identify differentiated teacher profiles. The results indicate the existence of three distinct profiles characterized by different levels of pedagogical digital competence, integration of technology in teaching, and contextual conditions. Statistically significant associations or differences were identified for educational level, teacher age, and student age, whereas no statistically significant associations or differences were identified for gender or duration of technology use in the classroom. Within the studied educational context, these findings highlight the heterogeneity of teachers’ digital competence profiles and suggest the potential value of considering both pedagogical and contextual factors when designing targeted professional development strategies. The study is limited to selected professional and demographic variables, which should be interpreted as contextual correlates rather than broad sociodemographic determinants.