Assessment of the proficiency level in digital competences of Higher Education instructors in Portugal

The study aims to assess the level of digital competences of higher education instructors in Portugal. The methodology used was a survey, involving an online self-assessment questionnaire, based on DigCompEdu, a framework developed and validated by the European Commission. The survey collected data in three dimensions: personal (gender, level of education, age group and career years), teaching (college levels and teaching modality) and institutional (higher education subsystems, type of establishment and administrative region). The questionnaire was answered by 695 participants. The data analysis involved the application of statistical techniques such as t-test and ANOVA. The results showed an intermediate level of proficiency in the instructors' digital competences. There were no statistically significant effects of variables such as: gender, age group, career years, type of establishment and administrative region. However, teachers with a higher level of academic qualifications and who teach at postgraduate levels, as well as teaching at a distance and in technical institutions showed a higher level of digital competence. The study concludes that the following actions are needed: the development of frameworks focusing on online higher education and the development of continuous training for instructors to improve their digital proficiency level.