Digital Competencies in Formal and Hidden Curriculum

Background purpose Research on digital competence has been one of the most important policy goals in the area of education in the European Union for almost two decades. In 2017, two essential documents were published: DigComp 2.1 - The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens with eight proficiency levels (Carretero et al., 2017) and examples of use and the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators – DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017). Despite these documents and all the research in the field of digital competencies, there is still no unified instrument for measuring the digital competencies of citizens. The problem is that digital competencies encompass a wide range of skills, from basic digital literacy to advanced technical proficiency, and they evolve with technological advancements. Researchers and policymakers face several obstacles in creating a one-size-fits-all tool for assessing these competencies. This paper expands existing research in the field of digital competence in formal education in Slovenia. Our research aimed to explore curricular aspects of acquiring digital competencies within the three levels of formal education and the level of achieving digital competencies among citizens (students) in Slovenia. The purpose of our study was to gain a broader understanding of how participants in formal education obtain digital competencies to obtain a publicly recognized qualification within the education system in Slovenia. Design/Methodology/Approach To examine the field of digital competence in formal and hidden curricula, we first survey students (citizens) to assess their self-perception regarding digital competencies. Then, we interviewed teachers from various faculties to identify elements of the hidden curriculum. Finally, we reviewed publicly available educational content regarding acquiring digital competencies in primary and secondary schools and universities. Results The extent of formal teaching of content related to digital competencies within the public education system in Slovenia is small. During the average duration of formal education, a Slovenian citizen listens to approximately 2,000 hours of mathematics lessons, around 1,000 hours of art lessons, and 200 hours of computer science and informatics lessons. The research results have shown that, even in subjects unrelated to computer science, informatics, and digital competencies, students acquire digital competencies as part of the hidden curriculum at universities. The arithmetic mean among students’ (citizens’) research of other competencies indicates that respondents can operate independently. The results of the level of digital competencies according to DigiComp 2.1. show that, except for two competencies; all are within are within level 5. This means that the self-assessed level of digital competencies among students (citizens) has mostly stopped at tasks they perform for their own needs. Conclusion In the future, EU countries will need to standardize the assessment system for digital competencies to determine the level of individuals’ digital competencies. The school system in Slovenia will have to introduce a significant amount of computer science knowledge into the curricula of subjects, with particular attention given to upgrading digital competencies within hidden curricula.