Teacher Training for Digital Education: OECD Analysis

Teacher training is emerging as a key factor for the successful implementation of digital technologies in the educational process. This was emphasized by Jose-Luis Alvarez-Galvan from the Directorate "Education and Skills" at the Secretariat of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). He participated via video link in the conference "How Bulgaria's membership in the OECD works for the success of young people: innovations in education and youth entrepreneurship", which was held today in the coastal city of Burgas. The event was organized by the Diplomatic Institute to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Within the framework of the conference, Alvarez-Galvan presented current results from the latest OECD studies, covering digital education. Among them, the international study of policies for digital learning stands out, which covers as many as 37 educational systems, including the Bulgarian one. From the provided information, it became clear that Bulgaria stands out as one of the few countries that has not only developed a national strategy for digital transformation, covering the period from 2020 to 2030, but has also integrated into it specific goals and initiatives related to artificial intelligence.

According to the information presented, the country applies centralized guidelines and rules for cybersecurity and conducts external assessments of schools, which include the use of digital resources. Despite the progress, as in many other countries, there is a need for clearer regulation of the application of new technologies in the teaching and learning process. "Almost every country already has a strategy for digital education, but the least developed part remains the assessment and monitoring of the effectiveness of these practices," the expert emphasized.

The second part of Alvarez-Galvan's presentation was devoted to the link between digital technologies and the results achieved from the educational process. In this regard, he presented a study, prepared at the request of Ireland, which analyzes five main types of technologies used in the classroom: programming and robotics, media literacy, augmented reality and simulations, educational games, and artificial intelligence.

"These tools offer opportunities for personalized learning and greater inclusion, but everything depends on the training of teachers," Alvarez-Galvan noted. He also highlighted some of the main risks associated with the introduction of digital technologies, such as economic inequalities and uneven access to digital resources.

As examples of good practices, Alvarez-Galvan pointed to France, where the El Pilote program monitors the use of digital technologies in schools, and the Netherlands, where the national agency Gamesnet coordinates framework agreements with suppliers to ensure quality and equal access to the necessary equipment.

"It is not necessary to abandon traditional teaching methods, but to combine digital and analog tools according to the needs of the students," the expert concluded.