564
Views
367
PDF Downloads
4
XML Views
Open Access
Enhancing Early Childhood Educator's Digital Competencies through AI-Powered Learning Modules (AI-PEL) Training Program
Main Article Content
Abstract
Purpose – Digital skills among educators are becoming increasingly important and essential for creating interactive and relevant learning experiences. However, many teachers are still unprepared to fully integrate technology into their teaching and need to improve their understanding of AI technology to support the learning process. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of improving the digital skills of early childhood education (ECE) teachers through AI-Powered Learning Modules (AI-PEL) training.
Design/methods/approach – This research employs a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental method to evaluate the effectiveness of AI-Powered Learning Modules (AI-PEL) training for Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers in the Tumpang Sub-district. Purposive sampling was used to select 80 ECE teachers who participated in the training. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics using SPSS 17.0, including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, Cronbach's Alpha for reliability, and Independent t-tests to compare group means.
Findings – This study found a significant improvement in the digital skills of ECE teachers in the Tumpang Sub-district after the AI-PEL training. Initially, the teachers struggled with technology integration, but after the training, their skills and understanding of digital tools improved. Evidence shows that 68 out of 80 participants successfully created teaching modules and picture stories using AI technologies such as Chat GPT, Gemini, DeepL, and Bing Image Creator within the specified deadline.
Research implications/limitations – This finding highlights the importance of improving digital skills among teachers, as it enhances their teaching effectiveness and positively impacts students' learning experiences and outcomes. This fosters an engaging, interactive, and effective learning environment in the 21st century.
Practical implications – This research emphasizes the importance of supporting strategies such as developing digital learning modules, continuous mentoring, and integrating technology into the ECE curriculum. Partnerships with stakeholders are also crucial to ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the AI-Powered Learning Modules (AI-PEL) Training Program. These measures are essential for improving teachers' digital skills and the overall quality of teacher education in the 21st century.
Originality/value – This research highlights that early childhood teachers can develop more creative and effective teaching methods with good digital skills. Ultimately, this will improve the quality of early childhood education for the 21st century.
Paper type Research paper
Keywords:
Downloads
1. Introduction
Digital Skills among educators is becoming increasingly important in the current technological era, as the ability to use information and communication technologies effectively is key to creating interactive and relevant learning20. Positive attitudes towards technology and its perceived usefulness significantly influence teachers' technology adoption, ultimately shaping the effectiveness of digital Skills integration in education. For educators, digital Skills provides great benefits, such as increasing the interactivity and efficiency of learning and enabling collaboration with peers and education experts so that teachers are better equipped to prepare successful students in the digital era30.
Based on 2018 UNESCO data showing that 60% of teachers in developing countries feel they lack adequate digital skills and data from the Information and Communication Technology Center (Pustekkom) of the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemdikbud) showing that only 40% of teachers outside the Technology and Communication (ICT) field have mastered digital technology in learning, proving that there is an urgent need to address digital Skills competencies among educators27. Most teachers are not fully prepared to integrate technology into their learning, especially in developing countries like Indonesia. This is because 80% of teachers have limited access to the internet and technology devices, 70% of teachers lack training and mentoring, and 60% of teachers have concerns about data security and privacy31. This can limit the potential for interactive and relevant learning that can be presented to students.
This problem is specific to Malang District, particularly in Tumpang Sub-district, where less than half of 171 Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers have basic digital technology skills. Based on observations, most ECE teachers in the Tumpang sub-district are middle-aged and have limited skills in mastering Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Many teachers are not up to date with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can be applied in the learning process. This reflects a need for more adequate skills and knowledge regarding AI and its application in learning contexts.
In addition, the need for more training and support for teachers in adopting AI for learning, their fear and hesitation in trying new technologies, and the need for pedagogical adaptations and learning methods to effectively integrate AI are problems encountered. This problem is influenced by the inequality of training and socialization programs on using AI in learning23. As a result, many ECE teachers in the Tumpang area use conventional learning methods with minimal application of digital Skills. A lack of understanding of AI technology among teachers can result in low student engagement and a decrease in the overall quality of education.
Poor mastery of digital Skills certainly impacts the quality of early childhood learning14. Teachers who are not skilled in digital Skills will find it difficult to use modern technology to make learning more interactive, engaging and relevant for students6. This can hinder an adequate learning experience, which should involve the use of digital tools to facilitate the understanding of the concepts and skills being taught. The tendency of conventional forms of learning and the reluctance to learn digital Skills in an effort to assist in learning causes early childhood to have difficulty recognizing modern devices, modern learning, potentially experiencing boredom which results in obstructed knowledge transfer15.
Yafie et al. (2020) emphasize the importance of implementing training programs for teachers to improve competence through critical thinking skills and improve the teaching-learning process32. Research conducted by Atmojo et al. (2022) also emphasized the importance of teachers having digital Skills skills to teach students about digital technology and online behaviour4. This confirms that various digital skills are needed for effective teaching in the digital era. Similarly, as Ovcharuk and Ivaniuk (2021) highlighted, continuous professional development is necessary to improve teachers' digital skills and promote lifelong education24.
Based on these conditions, to improve digital Skills among teachers, including AI technology skills training, there is a need for training related to using digital technology that utilizes AI, such as AI-Powered Learning Modules (AI-PEL) training. AI-PEL was chosen as an appropriate solution because it leverages AI technology to provide a personalized and adaptive learning experience which can adjust to each teacher's individual needs and abilities. Specialized training was deemed necessary to improve ECE teachers' skills in this area, as their current level of proficiency is moderate34. In addition, the potential application of AI-based learning in ECE settings may allow for integration into early childhood education16.
Training programs focusing on digital Skills and using digital technologies are essential for teachers to access, manage information, and integrate it into their teaching content9. Research by Alamin et al. (2023) shows the positive impact of training programs that focus on interactive educational applications for early childhood teachers in improving competence and quality of learning at the early childhood level2. Ayanwale et al. (2024) state that integrating AI into teacher training programs can significantly improve teaching and learning outcomes by providing new tools and resources for educators5.
AI-PEL training must be implemented to help teachers adapt teaching practices to advances in science, technology, and communication in the 21st century. Through AI-PEL training, teachers can more quickly master the digital skills needed, making it a very suitable solution to effectively improve digital Skills and create and produce AI-based learning modules that are interesting, interactive, and, of course,
Article Details
How to Cite
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors can enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) before and during the submission process. It can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.
References
Akbara, A. Z. (2022). Aktualisasi Industri 4.0 Dalam Rangka Peningkatan Literasi Digital Guru Paud. SELAPARANG: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat Berkemajuan, 6(3), 1229-1233. https://doi.org/10.31764/jpmb.v6i3.10597
Alamin, Z., Missouri, R., Annafi, N., & Bima, U. M. (2023). Pelatihan Guru PAUD dalam Penggunaan Aplikasi Edukasi Interaktif untuk Peningkatan Kualitas Pembelajaran. Taroa: Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat, 2(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.52266/taroa.v2i1.2616
Anisa, N., Robbaniyah, I., Sutama, I. W., & Astuti, W. (2023). The Effect of Educational Qualifications and Teacher Professional Education Program on the Digital Skills Skills of Early Childhood Educators. Jurnal Obsesi : Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 7(6), 7123-7130. https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v7i6.5589
Atmojo, I. R. W., Ardiansyah, R., & Wulandari, W. (2022). Classroom Teacher’s Digital Skills Level based on Instant Digital Competence Assessment (IDCA) Perspective. Mimbar Sekolah Dasar, 9(3), 431-445. https://doi.org/10.53400/mimbar-sd.v9i3.51957
Ayanwale, M. A., Adelana, O. P., & Odufuwa, T. T. (2024). Exploring STEAM teachers’ trust in AI-based educational technologies: a structural equation modelling approach. Discover Education, 3(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-024-00092-z
Bećirović, S. (2023). Challenges and Barriers for Effective Integration of Technologies into Teaching and Learning BT. In S. Bećirović (Ed.), Digital Pedagogy: The Use of Digital Technologies in Contemporary Education (pp. 123–133). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-0444-0_10
Didi, W. (2024). Research on Digital Skills Improvement Strategies of Higher Education Economic and Management Teachers. Frontiers in Educational Research, 7(3), 142–146. https://doi.org/10.25236/fer.2024.070324
Duong, M., Pullmann, M., Buntain-Ricklefs, J., Lee, K., Benjamin, K., Nguyen, L., & Cook, C. (2018). Brief Teacher Training Improves Student Behavior and Student-Teacher Relationships in Middle School. School Psychology Quarterly, 34(2), 212–221. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000296
Falloon, G. (2020). From digital Skills to digital competence: the teacher digital competency (TDC) framework. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(5), 2449–2472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-020-09767-4
Galdames-Calderón, M. (2023). Distributed Leadership: School Principals’ Practices to Promote Teachers’ Professional Development for School Improvement. Education Sciences, 13(7), 715. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13070715
Garzón-Artacho, E., Sola-Martínez, T., Romero-Rodríguez, J.-M., & Gómez-García, G. (2021). Teachers’ perceptions of digital competence at the lifelong learning stage. Heliyon, 7(7), e07513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07513
Gjelaj, M., Buza, K., Shatri, K., & Zabeli, N. (2020). Digital technologies in early childhood: Attitudes and practices of parents and teachers in Kosovo. International Journal of Instruction, 13(1), 165–184. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020.13111a
Hasibuan, S., Humaizi, Lubis, L. A., & Pohan, S. (2024). Promoting Media Skills Among Early Childhood Education: A Case Study In Deli Serdang Regency, Indonesia. Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental, 18(5), e06961. https://doi.org/10.24857/rgsa.v18n5-136
Hidayatullah, S., Syihabuddin, S., & Damayanti, V. (2021). Analisis Kebutuhan Media Literasi Berbasis Digital pada Anak Usia Dini. Jurnal Obsesi : Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 6(1), 1190-1196. https://doi.org/10.31004/obsesi.v6i3.1183
Irwanto, I., & Irwansyah, I. (2020). Pendekatan Social Construction of Technology untuk Teknologi Pendidikan di Indonesia. Media Komunikasi FPIPS. https://doi.org/10.23887/mkfis.v19i1.24184
Jayawardana, H. B. ., & Sugiarto, M. A. (2023). Potensi Penerapan Pembelajaran Berbasis AI (Artificial Intelligence) di PAUD. JECIE (Journal of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education), 7(1), 251–255. https://doi.org/10.31537/jecie.v7i1.1515
Jia, W., & Huang, X. (2023). Digital Skills and Vocational Education : Essential Skills for the Modern Workforce Digital Skills and Vocational Education : Essential Skills for the Modern Workforce. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(5), 2382–2390. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i5/17080
Karlberg, M., & Bezzina, C. (2022). The professional development needs of beginning and experienced teachers in four municipalities in Sweden. Professional Development in Education, 48(4), 624–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1712451
Marsh, J., Wood, E., Chesworth, L., Nisha, B., Nutbrown, B., & Olney, B. (2019). Makerspaces in early childhood education: Principles of pedagogy and practice. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 26(3), 221–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/10749039.2019.1655651
Muntu, D. F., Yuliana, O. Y., & Tarigan, Z. J. H. (2023). The Influence of Digital Skills on Learning Effectiveness Through Classroom Management. Petra International Journal of Business Studies, 6(1), 42–52. https://doi.org/10.9744/petraijbs.6.1.42-52
Nazaretsky, T., Ariely, M., Cukurova, M., & Alexandron, G. (2022). Teachers’ trust in AI-powered educational technology and a professional development program to improve it. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(4), 914–931. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13232
Nguyen, L. A. T., & Habók, A. (2022). Digital Skills of EFL Students: An Empirical Study in Vietnamese Universities. Libri, 72(1), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.1515/libri-2020-0165
Nurjannah, N. (2022). Tantangan Pengembangan Kurikulum dalam Meningkatkan Literasi Digital Serta Pembentukan Karakter Peserta Didik di Indonesia. Jurnal Basicedu, 6(4), 6844–6854. https://doi.org/10.31004/basicedu.v6i4.3328
Ovcharuk, O., & Ivaniuk, I. (2021). A self-assessment tool of the level of digital competence of Ukrainian teachers in the context of lifelong learning: the results of an online survey 2021. Educational Dimension, 5, 75–88. https://doi.org/10.31812/educdim.4719
Purnama, S., Ulfah , M., Ramadani , L., Rahmatullah , B., & Ahmad , I. F. (2022). Digital Storytelling Trends in Early Childhood Education in Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review. Jurnal Pendidikan Usia Dini, 16(1), 17-31. https://doi.org/10.21009/JPUD.161.02
Rahmawati, S., Abdullah, A. G., & Widiaty, I. (2024). Teachers’ digital Skills overview in secondary school. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 13(1), 597–606. https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v13i1.25747
Ria, D. R., & Wahidy, A. (2020). Guru Kreatif di Era Society 5.0. Seminar Nasional Pendidikan PPs Universitas PGRI Palembang 2020, 3, 985–992.
Rohandi, M. M. A., Pratiwi, R. E., Permana, R. M. T., & Meirani, N. (2023). Enhancing Digital Skills Through Instructional Videos and Social Media Engagement. MIMBAR : Jurnal Sosial Dan Pembangunan, 39(2), 251–257. https://doi.org/10.29313/mimbar.vi.2983
Soekamto, H., Nikolaeva, I., Abbood, A. A. A., Grachev, D., Kosov, M., Yumashev, A., Kostyrin, E., Lazareva, N., Kvitkovskaja, A., & Nikitina, N. (2022). Professional Development of Rural Teachers Based on Digital Skills. Emerging Science Journal, 6(6), 1525–1540. https://doi.org/10.28991/ESJ-2022-06-06-019
Sudarti, Abdulhak, I., Rusman, & Riyana, C. (2020). Digital Skills for early childhood education teachers in society 5.0. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series. https://doi.org/10.1145/3452144.3452258
Verawadina, U., Jalinus, N., & Asnur, L. (2019). Mengkaji Kurikulum di Era Revolusi Industri 4.0 bagi Pendidikan Vokasi. Wahana Didaktika : Jurnal Ilmu Kependidikan, 17(2), 228–239. https://doi.org/10.31851/wahanadidaktika.v17i2.2834
Yafie, E., Haqqi, Y. A., Kustiawan, U., Astuti, W., Boedi, D., & Ilhami, B. S. (2020). The Effect of Teacher Competency Training on High Order Thinking-Based Learning. Journal of Early Childhood Care and Education, 2(2), 87–93. https://doi.org/10.26555/jecce.v2i2.1293
Yafie, E., Haqqi, Y. A., Robbaniyah, I., Nur Maulidia, L., Azizah, A. R., & Astuti, W. (2022). Effectiveness Mobile Peer Support Application to Enhance Teacher Competence: The Moderating Role Teacher Self-Efficacy. Proceedings - 2022 2nd International Conference on Information Technology and Education, ICIT and E 2022. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICITE54466.2022.9759861
Yafie, E., Iriyanto, T., Gonadi, L., & Wahyuni, S. (2018). Workshop pembuatan media education berbasis PPT anak usia dini untuk guru se-kota Malang dan alumni PGPAUD universitas negeri malang. Jurnal Karinov, 1(2), 1–8.
Yang, W., Luo, H., & Su, J. (2022). Towards inclusiveness and sustainability of robot programming in early childhood: Child engagement, learning outcomes and teacher perception. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(6), 1486–1510. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13266
