Core university functions as predictors of university teachers’ digital competence

Abstract

The digital transformation of higher education has redefined the professional profile of university teachers, positioning digital competence as a key component of educational quality and innovation. In this context, the study aimed to analyze the predictive effects of digital competence in research, outreach, and management on digital competence in university teaching at the Technical University of Manabí and the State University of Milagro. A quantitative, explanatory approach was adopted, with a non-experimental cross-sectional design. The sample consisted of 315 teachers from both universities. A structured questionnaire with high reliability ( α  > 0.98) was used. Digital competence in university teaching was specified a priori as the endogenous criterion construct and was therefore not entered as an exogenous predictor; digital competence in research, outreach, and management were modeled as the three predictor constructs. Structural equation modeling was applied using SPSS and AMOS to estimate the magnitude and direction of the relationships. The three predictor constructs jointly explained a substantial proportion of the variance in digital competence in university teaching (R 2  = 0.825). Management emerged as the most influential positive predictor, associated with planning, continuous assessment, and technology-mediated decision-making processes. Research showed a moderate positive effect, highlighting the relevance of digital dissemination as a key dimension, followed by scientific collaboration. In contrast, outreach presented a significant negative effect, revealing limitations in technological integration in community engagement activities. In addition, differences between institutions were identified, with higher levels of digital competence at the Technical University of Manabí compared with the State University of Milagro. The findings indicate that digital competence in university teaching is associated with function-specific digital competencies developed in research, outreach, and management, while the directionality of these relationships should be interpreted within the specified structural model.