Factors influencing vocational education teachers’ digital competencies: A systematic literature review

Digital technologies in vocational education significantly impact teacher digital competencies so these digital competencies play a considerable impact on both teaching efficiency and data management. For the following systematic literature review to examine the role of factors in the digital competences of teachers in higher vocational college we aimed to review literatures published from 2018 to 2023. Professional development was particularly interesting to us. We searched Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, and Google Scholar, yielding 20 empirical studies corresponding with our selection criteria. Professional training was perhaps the strongest factor - it significantly increased the confidence and the capability of teachers to work with digital tools. Other important factors include self-confidence, age, attitudes toward technology, digital awareness, years of teaching experience and access to adequate digital resources. An interesting trend emerged: Older teachers in general seemed to have lower digital competencies, although well-organized training schemes along with helpful digital environments, in particular in terms of support systems, were able to raise skill levels in all age groups. Although training is important, we found surprisingly limited empirical research specifically on vocational education. More research is required regarding the relationship between professional training and other influencers. Our results provide policymakers and educational institutions with practical recommendations towards improving digital integration among professionals and fostering the ongoing competence of vocational teachers.