UNESCO’s Strategies and Practices for Advancing Teachers’ Digital Competence: A Global Education Governance Perspective
List of Authors
Sarfraz Aslam, Xu Jiao
Keyword
UNESCO; Teachers’ Digital Competence; Global Education Governance; Teacher Professional Development; SDG4
Abstract
Digital technologies have emerged as a key factor in improving educational quality and advancing educational equity amid the rapidly expanding worldwide digital transformation of education. The success of integrating digital technology into teaching practices is largely determined by teachers, who are key players in bringing about educational reform. As a result, a crucial element influencing the results of educational digitalization is instructors' digital competency. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a significant international organization in global education governance, has long been dedicated to improving teachers' digital competency globally through the creation of competency frameworks, policy recommendations, and the execution of useful initiatives. This study primarily contributes to SDG 4 (Quality Education) by examining how UNESCO promotes teachers’ digital competency to enhance educational quality and equity in the context of global educational digitalization. This study uses textual analysis and comparative research techniques to methodically investigate the strategic frameworks, implementation pathways, and contextual background that UNESCO uses to support teachers' digital competency. It draws on theories of teacher professional development and global education governance. It identifies the main implementation problems while delving deeper into UNESCO's underlying value orientations and practical results. The study makes policy recommendations based on these findings and China's current educational digitalization needs. These recommendations include improving teacher training models, promoting equitable access to high-quality digital educational resources, and refining teacher digital competency frameworks. The study intends to further educational modernization in China by offering theoretical insights and useful references for improving teachers' digital competency.