Digital Literacy Profiles of Secondary School Teachers in Tanzania and their Relationship with Technology-Enhanced Lesson Design Competences

Abstract

This study examines the digital literacy profiles of secondary school teachers in Tanzania, concentrating on two primary dimensions of digital literacy: Information and Data Literacy (IDL) and Digital Content Creation (DC). Data from 251 teachers were employed, utilizing a cross-sectional quantitative design and person-centered cluster analysis to identify various digital literacy profiles. Three levels of digital literacy emerged: low, moderate, and high. Correlational analyses were subsequently carried between digital literacy profiles and teachers' capacity to formulate technology-enhanced lessons across five domains: Pedagogical-Technology Integration, Content-Technology Alignment, Student-Centered Technology Design, Assessment-Evaluation Integration, and Adaptive Lesson Planning. Multivariate, correlational, and regression analyses demonstrated statistically significant and practically relevant associations between digital literacy and lesson design proficiency. Digital Content Creation emerged as the strongest statistical predictor of lesson design competence. The results indicate variability in teachers’ digital literacy profiles. These findings suggest that professional development strategies may benefit from being tailored to these differences and the current digital literacy among teachers. The implication of these findings for Tanzania's education policy and the professional development of teachers is discussed.