This study was conducted to provide implications for the digital competency education of early childhood teachers through the analysis of the importance-performance and needs for the digital competency. To this end, the importance-performance level of...
This study was conducted to provide implications for the digital competency education of early childhood teachers through the analysis of the importance-performance and needs for the digital competency. To this end, the importance-performance level of digital competency were investigated for 221 early childhood teachers to verify the difference, IPA analysis, and differences according to teacher individual characteristics (age, digital competency training time, type of work institution) were analyzed, Needs analysis was conducted at the individual, institutional, and governmental levels for digital competency development. As a result of the study, early childhood teachers recognized the importance of digital citizenship, digital thinking ability, digital content production and platform utilization, and digital pedagogy higher than the performance level, and the difference was significant. As a result of the IPA analysis, 6 areas including the detailed area of digital citizenship were included in the 1st quadrant (maintenance), and 7 areas including the detailed area of digital pedagogy were included in the 3rd quadrant (gradual improvement). In addition, there was a difference according to the age of early childhood teachers, the time of digital competency training, and the type of work institution. As a result of the analysis of needs for digital competency development, various training courses, budget support for individual teachers, and supply of digital devices for teachers were presented at the individual level, and at the institutional level, digital education environment establishment, digital facility distribution, and institutional budget support At the government level, budget support, provision of information on digital policies and class plans, and professional manpower support were proposed. The results of this study can be used as guidelines for establishing policies and developing educational programs to strengthen early childhood teachers’ digital competency.