Profiling Gaps in STEM Teachers’ Digital Technology Use Related to Their Self-Perceived Capability

Abstract

This study examined STEM teachers’ self-perceived digital competence and the digital technologies that they reported as missing from classroom practice. Drawing on the DigCompEdu framework and a person-Centered approach, latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to questionnaire responses from 810 pre-service and in-service STEM teachers from eight European countries. Teachers’ self-assessed digital competence was measured using nine Likert-scale items, and open-ended responses concerning missing technologies were analyzed using inductive content analysis. The LCA identified four profiles, labeled Emerging, Integrative, Established, and Pioneer, which differed in their self-reported competence, perceived knowledge, and training related to digital technology use. The qualitative analysis yielded five umbrella categories of missing technologies: Emerging, Immersive and Intelligent Technologies; Subject Specific, Experimental and Constructive Technologies; Digital Learning Environments, Content and Interaction; Digital Infrastructure and Core Classroom Technology; and Assessment, Support, and Collaboration. Across the sample, the most frequently reported missing technologies were related to emerging and intelligent technologies, followed by subject-specific and interactive learning technologies. Comparison across the profiles indicated that higher-competence groups reported more differentiated and specific technology gaps, whereas lowercompetence groups more often provided empty, vague, or no-gap responses. The findings suggested that higher self-perceived digital competence was associated not necessarily with fewer barriers, but with a clearer awareness of unmet technological needs. The study highlighted the value of combining person-centered quantitative analysis with qualitative categorization to better understand variation in teachers’ digital competence profiles and their perceived classroom technology needs.