PERCEPTIONS AND LEVELS OF DIGITAL COMPETENCIES OF EFL INSTRUCTORS IN A HIGHER EDUCATION CONTEXT IN TÜRKİYE

Abstract

Digital competencies have come to the fore in education activities under mandatory conditions due to emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic and have become an indispensable part of the new normal process. This study aims to explore the perceptions and levels of digital competencies of university instructors and how effectively they utilise technology in foreign language education processes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 English instructors working at the School of Foreign Languages of a private university in Türkiye. Findings indicated that instructors have positive views of digital competencies and need similar digital competencies in foreign language education; they are perceived as more competent digitally although they see one another's digital competency levels as sufficient, and digital competencies are used extensively in lessons, extracurricular studies, and assessment-evaluation processes albeit school curricula do not prioritize digital competencies sufficiently. Findings also revealed that the university provides sufficient opportunities for teachers for digital competencies, but there are still various recommendations from the teachers to further develop themselves professionally and academically.