International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development

search-icon

Assessing the Technological Competencies of Academic Staff in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions

Open access
The rapid digital transformation of higher education has increased the importance of technological competencies among university faculty members. This study aimed to investigate the level of technological competencies among faculty members in Malaysian universities and examine whether significant differences exist according to years of teaching experience, academic rank, and gender. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring three dimensions of technological competencies: Basic Computer Operation Competencies, Internet and Web Resource Utilization Competencies, and Information Technology Application Competencies. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that faculty members demonstrated a high overall level of technological competencies (M = 4.09, SD = 0.64). Among the competency domains, Internet and Web Resource Utilization Competencies recorded the highest mean score (M = 4.23, SD = 0.64), followed by Basic Computer Operation Competencies (M = 4.10, SD = 0.66) and Information Technology Application Competencies (M = 4.00, SD = 0.79). The results further indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in technological competencies based on years of teaching experience or academic rank (p > 0.05). Regarding gender, a statistically significant difference was found only in Basic Computer Operation Competencies (t = 1.99, p = 0.048), favouring female faculty members, while no significant gender differences were observed in the remaining domains or the overall competency score. The study concludes that faculty members in Malaysian universities possess strong technological competencies and have successfully adapted to the digital demands of contemporary higher education. However, continuous professional development is recommended to strengthen advanced technology application skills, particularly in areas such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and emerging educational technologies. These findings contribute to ongoing efforts to support digital transformation and enhance educational quality in Malaysian higher education institutions.
Al-Ateeq, H. (2011). Technological competencies among faculty members at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. Journal of Educational Studies, 18(2), 77–101.
Al-Ghazo, A., & Aleimat, M. (2017). Technological competencies among faculty members in Jordanian universities. Jordanian Journal of Educational Sciences, 13(4), 421–438.
Alias, N. A. (2018). Digital learning practices among academics in Malaysian higher education institutions. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 15(2), 45–68.
Al-Munaifi, S., & Abdullah, M. (2012). Technological competencies of faculty members in the College of Basic Education in Kuwait. Journal of Gulf Educational Research, 8(1), 55–73.
Al-Otaibi, A. (2011). Ethical and technological competencies required for university faculty members. Journal of Educational Sciences, 23(2), 145–172.
Bond, M., Bedenlier, S., Marín, V. I., & Händel, M. (2021). Emergency remote teaching in higher education: Mapping the first global online semester. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00282-x
Buniyamin, N. (2020). Gender and technology integration among academics in Malaysian universities. Journal of Technical Education and Training, 12(2), 89–102.
Castañeda, L., Esteve-Mon, F. M., Adell-Segura, J., & Prestridge, S. (2022). Digital competence for educators: A review of the literature and future research directions. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 38(3), 1–16.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2023). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach (6th ed.). Sage Publications.
Embi, M. A. (2015). E-learning in Malaysian higher education: Policies, practices and future directions. Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. (2022). Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG 2015). https://www.enqa.eu
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2022). Multivariate data analysis (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Hamed, P. K., Mohammed, A. A., & Fath, M. S. E. D. A. (2024). Humanizing Education in Virtual Learning Environment: Experience of Students in Al-Madinah International University. Ijaz Arabi Journal of Arabic Learning, 7(1).
Hashim, A., Ahmad, N., & Abdullah, Z. (2020). Digital literacy and technology adoption among university academics in Malaysia. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Technology, 8(3), 15–28.
Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., Kereluik, K., Shin, T. S., & Graham, C. R. (2014). The technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen, & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (4th ed., pp. 101–111). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_9
Lucas, M., Bem-Haja, P., Siddiq, F., Moreira, A., & Redecker, C. (2021). The relation between in-service teachers' digital competence and personal and contextual factors: What matters most? Computers & Education, 160, 104052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2020.104052
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia. (2021). Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education): Annual report. Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017–1054. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). Digital education outlook 2021: Pushing the frontiers with artificial intelligence, blockchain and robots. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/589b283f-en
Redecker, C. (2017). European framework for the digital competence of educators: DigCompEdu. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/159770
Scherer, R., Siddiq, F., Howard, S. K., Tondeur, J., & Siddiq, F. (2021). Profiling teachers' readiness for online teaching and learning in higher education: Who's ready? Computers in Human Behavior, 118, 106675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106675
Tasir, Z. (2017). Technology integration and digital learning transformation in Malaysian universities. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 26(4), 215–226.
UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report 2023: Technology in education—A tool on whose terms? UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org
Wan Ali, W. Z. (2019). Professional development and digital competency among higher education academics in Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1), 33–47.
World Bank. (2022). World development report 2022: Finance for an equitable recovery. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1730-4
Zein El-Din, M. (2005). Technological competencies for e-learning educators. Cairo: Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi.
Hamed, P. K., & Noor, N. B. M. (2026). Assessing the Technological Competencies of Academic Staff in Malaysian Higher Education Institutions. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(3), 51–66.