Digital Competence and Professional Development of STEAM Teachers by Subject: Evidence from Distance Education in Indonesia
Aminudin Zuhairi *
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka, Jl. Cabe Raya, Pondok Cabe, Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten 15437, Indonesia.
Danang Budi Setyawan
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka, Jl. Cabe Raya, Pondok Cabe, Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten 15437, Indonesia.
Rahma Dewi Hartati
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka, Jl. Cabe Raya, Pondok Cabe, Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten 15437, Indonesia.
Valeria Yekti Kwasaning Gusti
Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka, Jl. Cabe Raya, Pondok Cabe, Pamulang, South Tangerang, Banten 15437, Indonesia.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To profile the digital competence of in-service teachers enrolled in distance education by subject area and to develop and validate a digital STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) professional development framework for distance education.
Study Design: Research and Development (R&D) study adapted from the Borg and Gall model, combining descriptive quantitative analysis with qualitative inquiry.
Place and Duration of Study: Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia, in 2025.
Methodology: In-service teachers concurrently enrolled in distance education programmes (N = 199; language and arts, 41.2%; mathematics, 32.8%; science, 16.2%; elementary school, 9.8%) completed a four-point digital competence questionnaire covering four dimensions: Teaching, Professional Development, School Development, and Educational Innovation. Semi-structured interviews and expert validation complemented the survey. The researchers analysed the data using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis and triangulated the two datasets.
Results: Weighted mean scores ranged from 3.14 to 3.25 across the four dimensions, indicating sufficient overall digital competence. Educational Innovation had the lowest weighted mean (3.14) and the widest between-group range (0.36). Science teachers scored highest on Teaching (3.35), Professional Development (3.32), and School Development (3.29); elementary school teachers scored highest on Educational Innovation (3.28), and mathematics teachers scored lowest on Educational Innovation (2.92). Practitioners estimated that only about 30% of teachers were confident in using technology and rated their own competence at about 6 out of 10. Participants reported that the digital STEAM-based programme improved interaction, collaboration, and motivation, while unstable connectivity and limited synchronous time constrained implementation.
Conclusion: Teachers' digital competence in distance education is adequate but uneven, and innovation is the weakest dimension. Differentiated, discipline-sensitive and interdisciplinary digital STEAM-based professional development is recommended to move teachers from operational use of technology towards innovative pedagogy.
Keywords: Digital competence, STEAM education, teacher professional development, distance education, educational innovation, in-service teachers