Sustainable Development Goal 4 highlights inclusion and equity as indicators of quality in education, with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) highlighted as an opportunity to advance educational inclusion (Pedró et al., 2019). While several studies within the field of educational technology have assessed the application of technology in vulnerable groups, students with SEN are still in a position of disadvantage (Cranmer, 2020; Trujillo, 2021). Studies show a need to incorporate a holistic pedagogical model based on Universal Design for Learning, providing accessibility and facilitating inclusion for all (Serrano et al., 2019). The opportunities of ICT in education are evident: the individualisation, the breaking down of barriers of time and space, and the permeability of technology that makes it possible to respond to the principles of UDL. However, it is evident that having ICT tools and technologies does not guarantee that the teachers will effectively use them or change their teaching practices (Pittman & Gaines, 2015). It is rather teacher competencies and beliefs that count (Almerich et al., 2016; Ertmer et al., 2012).

Digitalisation is a global priority, and, in this respect, competence frameworks have been developed from different continents, targeting both citizens at an initial stage and then teachers at all levels of education. In the European context, the DigComp framework in its different versions (Carretero et al., 2016; Vuorikari et al., 2022) has been extended and implemented as a reference model for teacher training in the design of school curricula and updating training plans. Later, the specific digital competence framework for teachers, DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017), which was taken as a reference by governments for the adaptation of their policies and implementation plans, became the benchmark. Its accessibility has been facilitated by the development and publication of the Selfie for Teachers tool, which provides the educational community with an open and free instrument for the assessment of the perception of teachers' digital competence and is available in 29 languages (Economou, 2023).

The most relevant aspects of this framework focus on the digital competence of students and the practices that teachers and students carry out for the development of teaching-learning processes that respond to the principles of UDL. The DigCompEdu model (Redecker, 2017) presents six competence areas differentiated into: educators’ professional competences, pedagogical competences, and learners’ competences. It is competence 5, learner empowerment, that offers the greatest opportunity for vulnerable learners and students with SEN, as it focuses on personalisation, accessibility, inclusion, and active learner motivation.

In the Digital Education at School Report of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (Eurydice, 2019), digital competence has been described as a priority area for individuals since its initial mention in European Recommendation in 2006 (European Parliament, 2006). A comparison among European countries was made in terms of curricula and approaches. The focus on special needs education related to digital competencies was embedded in the curricula of Belgium, Holland, Germany, Croatia, Austria, and Poland (Eurydice, 2019). A recent report indicates the need for access and participation for inclusion and focuses on teachers’ preparedness for learning environments (European Commission, 2023).  

The aim of this study is to assess the use of ICT by teachers working with students with SEN, assess and compare their digital competencies in education, and identify predictors of their digital competency in education across three countries: Türkiye, Ireland, and the Basque Country.

A cross-sectional survey was used to measure the use of ICT by teachers working with primary school-aged students with SEN while also assessing their digital competencies. Ethical approval was obtained from each institution. The online questionnaire was designed and refined following piloting with 15 teachers from the three countries. Once finalised, the questionnaire was administered between March and June 2023 using the Survey Sparrow online survey platform. It took 15 to 20 minutes to complete and consisted of three sections to capture 1) the demographic and professional characteristics of participants (i.e., age, gender, level of education, length of experience with SEN); 2) the availability and use of ICT in respondents’ schools, including a rating of the technical support available in school for ICT use; and 3) self-rated digital competence using the 22-item DigCompEdu (Cabero et al., 2020a). The invitation to participate was sent via email to all primary schools within the Basque Country, the Antalya district of Türkiye, and within Ireland. A total of 270 valid responses were received; 111 from Türkiye, 63 from Ireland and 96 from the Basque Country. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, means) were generated for all variables, split by country. Analysis of Variance was used to assess for differences in perceived digital competency by country. Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of digital competency scores, with the following independent variables: country (dummy variable); participant age in years; gender (male as the reference category); postgraduate (masters or doctoral) level of education (undergraduate education as the reference category); years of experience in SEN teaching; school setting (mainstream class as the reference category); and rating of technical support available in school.

Participants (Mage = 42 years) were predominantly female (78%). Internet use in classrooms through broadband or wireless connections was widespread among participants in Ireland (98% sometimes or always) and the Basque Country (96% sometimes or always), compared to 59% in Türkiye. The pattern was similar in relation to computer/laptop use, with higher proportions of respondents in Ireland (98%) and the Basque Country (91%) reporting that they sometimes or always use computers/laptops, compared to Türkiye (54%). In Ireland and the Basque Country, over half of participants reported using smartboards, compared to just over a quarter in Türkiye. Tablets were used most commonly in Ireland (60% sometimes/always), compared to 31% in the Basque Country and 9% in Türkiye. There was also variation across countries in the extent to which technical support was available in schools to assist with ICT use. In Ireland, around a quarter of respondents rated support as excellent. The proportion rating the support excellent was slightly lower in the Basque Country (16-21%), and slightly lower again in Türkiye (9-11%). Digital competency was highest for the Basque Country (mean = 43.22). Multiple linear regression identified significant predictors of digital competency. Teachers in Ireland and the Basque Country scored significantly higher (6.66 and 7.28 points, respectively) in digital competency compared with teachers in Türkiye. Female teachers scored 6 points lower than males on digital competency (p=.02). Age (p=.59) and having a postgraduate qualification compared to an undergraduate qualification (p=.43) were not significant predictors of digital competency. Teachers based in special schools scored 10 points lower in digital competency compared to those in mainstream schools (p=.001). The availability of technical support in school was a significant predictor of digital competency, with every 1-point increase in support associated with a .76-point increase in competency (p=.01).

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