Digital Competence of Secondary School Teachers: A Basis for a Capability Building Program

In the context of rapid digital transformation, this study aims to evaluate the level of digital competence of secondary school teachers in one of the districts in a large-sized Division in Central Philippines for the school year 2022-2023 as a basis for a capability-building program. A descriptive research design was employed, utilizing a researcher-made survey distributed to 85 secondary school teachers. Participants were categorized based on age, length of service, and the number of ICT trainings attended. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, and mean) and inferential statistics through the Mann-Whitney U test. Findings indicate that teachers demonstrated a moderate level of digital competence across three core domains: (a) content knowledge and pedagogy, (b curriculum and planning, and (c) assessment and reporting. When examining the subgroup differences, length of service emerged as a significant factor. Teachers with varying tenure levels exhibited statistically significant differences in digital competence across all domains. Conversely, grouping by age or number of ICT training sessions attended did not yield significant differences. These results showed that teaching experience, more than chronological age or exposure to ICT training, correlates with teachers' digital proficiency. Implications for educational policy and practice include the need for differentiated professional development strategies that address specific gaps tied to teachers' service duration. Proposals include peer mentoring, cohort-based learning communities, and scaffolded ICT integration workshops tailored to early- and mid-career educators. Future research may explore longitudinal interventions to assess changes in digital competence over time and their impact on instructional effectiveness and students' learning outcomes.