The Ministry of Education and Science (MES), in partnership with the European Training Foundation (ETF) and the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC), today held the inaugural meeting of the Study on Teachers’ Digital Competence in the Republic of Kosovo.

The study will be conducted using SELFIE for TEACHERS, the European Commission’s multilingual online tool based on the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu). SELFIE for TEACHERS is not a teacher performance assessment tool. It is designed to support self-reflection, professional development and the continuous improvement of teaching practice.

At government level, the Ministry of Education and Science was represented by Deputy Minister Përparim Kryeziu. In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister Kryeziu emphasised the importance of developing teachers’ digital competence and using reliable data to guide education policies and support their professional development.

Deputy Minister Kryeziu noted that this partnership represents a concrete example of the Republic of Kosovo’s commitment to European standards and practices in education. He stressed that the digital transformation of education is not only about technology, but, first and foremost, about empowering the teachers who make education possible every day.

The participants were also welcomed by Deirdre Hodson, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG EAC, and Dr Olena Bekh, Senior Human Capital Development Expert and Team Leader at the ETF.

The study aims to involve a broad and representative group of teachers from primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education, including vocational education and training. Through the self-reflection process, data will be collected on teachers’ self-assessed digital competence, with the aim of identifying their needs and guiding further support for their professional development.

Alessandro Brolpito, Senior Human Capital Development Expert at the ETF, presented the purpose, methodology and importance of the study. He highlighted the essential role of teachers as agents of change in the digital transformation of education, as well as the need to gain a better understanding of their digital competence so that support and professional development can be guided by evidence.

Shqipe Bruqi, Acting Director of the Department for Digitalisation of Education at MES, presented the digital ecosystem in schools and the role of SELFIE for TEACHERS.

Speaking about the importance of the self-reflection process, Shqipe Bruqi emphasised that this process does not end with the individual teacher, but establishes a connection between the teacher, the school, the municipality and the Ministry. According to her, each level has an important role in establishing a functional system for supporting teachers and their professional development.

Prof. Dr Krenare Pireva Nuçi, from the University of Prishtina, presented recent developments in digital pedagogy in the Republic of Kosovo, including the new EdTech programme offered by the Faculty of Education of the University of Prishtina.

The practical use of the SELFIE for TEACHERS tool was demonstrated by Prof. Dr Besnik Krasniqi, National Expert, together with Prof. Dr Krenare Pireva Nuçi. The meeting also included a discussion with participants, while communication through the online platform was monitored by Leon Shabani.

In the closing session, Veton Alihajdari, Head of the Division for Administration of Digital Platforms at MES, and Matthias Themel, Human Capital Development Expert at the ETF, presented the next steps and practical guidance for implementing the study.

Each teacher involved in the study will receive a personalised invitation to participate. The self-reflection tool will remain open for 21 days from the date on which each teacher receives their personalised invitation.

Data will be collected and processed anonymously. The collection and processing of data will be conducted in accordance with the applicable principles and requirements on privacy and data protection, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Law No. 06/L-082 on the Protection of Personal Data in the Republic of Kosovo.

The results of the study are expected to provide an important basis for identifying teachers’ needs, developing evidence-informed policies and planning further measures to strengthen digital competence across the education system of the Republic of Kosovo.