To investigate how VET teachers in post-compulsory education integrate digital technologies into teaching, collaboration and assessment and to identify strategies for addressing digital competence gaps using the DigCompEdu/SELFIE for TEACHERS framework.
A qualitative case study in a Spanish Vocational Education and Training (VET) centre. An online open-ended questionnaire collected accounts from 25 teachers representing five professional families. Grounded-theory coding in ATLAS.ti generated 105 initial codes (meaning units), which were then mapped to the DigCompEdu areas to identify themes and actionable areas for improvement.
Teachers report a solid baseline of integration centred on the learning management systems, collaborative platforms and sector-specific software aligned with occupational standards. Assessment routines exist, but self- and peer-assessment are inconsistent without explicit scaffolding. VR/AI attract strong interest yet remain marginal in practice. Mapping to DigCompEdu shows strengths in Areas 1–3 and clear needs in Areas 4 and 6.
This single-centre study, grounded in teachers’ detailed accounts, offers in-depth insight rarely captured in VET research, enhancing transferability and providing a solid foundation for future multi-site and mixed-methods studies.
Professional development aligned with DigCompEdu; stronger assessment literacy; investment in simulated/VR spaces and industry–centre partnerships for tool access and mentoring.
Strengthening teachers’ digital competence supports equitable access to future-relevant skills, enhancing employability and mobility through digital and green transitions.
The study provides evidence grounded in teachers’ practice in post-compulsory VET, applying DigCompEdu in classroom settings and linking the results to policy and leadership actions. In doing so, it contributes to the Special Issue’s aim of foregrounding rigorous VET research and challenges its under-representation by placing teachers’ voices at the centre.
