Implications of Teaching in the Digital Age: An Analysis of Essential Competencies for Integrating Information and Communication Technologies with the instructional program in a Virtual Learning Environment

This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the necessary competencies of integrating information and communication technology with instructional program in the context of virtual education.

This study was conducted with a qualitative approach and the participation of 15 experts in the field of educational technologies through semi-structured interviews and snowball sampling. Data analysis was done by manual coding using thematic analysis method with inductive approach and Atride-Sterling model. Authenticity verification was done by using strategies such as implementing a systematic process of data recording, increasing the number and variety of interviewees, frequent revision of data, control by members and external researchers; And reliability was measured through retest reliability and reliability between two coders manually, and after the completion of coding, the results of these two coders were compared with each other and the Holsti method was used.

The results of the theme analysis indicated that a total of 79 open codes or basic themes were extracted from 15 interviews, which were reduced to 37 themes after removing duplicates, and these 37 themes were in the form of 11 main organizing themes of individual competence. Teacher, teacher's social competence, teacher's professional ethics, content mastery, familiarity with technology and technical skills, knowledge and principles of technology use, information transfer in virtual education, use of technology in education, classroom management in digital space, attention to psychological characteristics Students are involved in the evaluation and integration of technology with the curriculum in the evaluation and 4 comprehensive themes of the teacher's personal and professional competencies, the teacher's scientific and technical competencies, the ability to teach and evaluate, and educational evaluation.

Conclusions and suggestions: 

In this regard, it can be concluded that for the integration of information and communication technology with the curriculum and education in the context of virtual education, there are competencies that teachers, having these competencies, can best integrate these technologies with Curriculum and educational programs are successful.

Innovation and originality: 

The examination of the essential competencies of integrating information and communication technology with the curriculum and education in the context of virtual education is comprehensively considered