Post-COVID Professional Digital Competence in Higher Education: Operational Strengths, Pedagogical Gaps, and Persistent Barriers among University Teachers in Islamabad

Misbah Shafait Abbasi (Zhejiang Normal University)
Yu Rong (Zhejiang Nornal University)

Journal of Educational Technology Innovation and Applications
Vol. 2 No. 03 (2026): Articles in Press - Journal of Educational Technology Innovation and Applicati

Post-COVID higher education requires educators who can integrate digital technologies pedagogically, not merely operate them. This cross-sectional study assessed self-reported professional digital competence and perceived barriers among 242 teachers at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Strongest reported domains were digital communication (96%), file and cloud management (92%), ICT-supported assessment (84.3%), and general digital-tool use (83.3%), whereas virtual learning environment use (32%) and advanced information retrieval (56%) were weaker. Infrastructure, technology quality, time and cost, online materials, and feedback remained major barriers. The findings support a shift from basic tool training toward pedagogical integration, VLE-based course design, digital assessment, information literacy, and sustained institutional support.