Fostering Educator Digital Competence through Targeted Professional Development: An Evaluation of a Scratch Programming Massive Open Online Course

In an era of profound digital transformation, the professional development of educators is pivotal for the effective integration of technology in the classroom. This study evaluates the impact of a Massive Open Online Course focused on the Scratch programming environment, designed for education professionals from diverse disciplines. Utilizing a pre- test/post-test mixed-methods design, this study assessed shifts in educators’ self-perceived digital competence, instructional confidence, and overall satisfaction. The findings reveal a statistically significant enhancement in programming skills across all participants (Cohen’s d= 1.20 (large effect size), demonstrating the Massive Open Online Course’s effectiveness in building foundational technical knowledge. However, a significant disparity in satisfaction emerged, with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics educators reporting higher levels of perceived relevance and satisfaction compared to their non-Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics counterparts (F (1,198)= 6.4, p= 0.01)). Qualitative data highlighted a universal demand for more practical application time, discipline-specific examples, and supplementary support materials. These results underscore the critical need for differentiated professional development pathways that align with principles of Universal Design for Learning and recognize skill acquisition through frameworks like micro- credentials. The authors argue that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to teacher training in digital skills is insufficient, and advocate for personalized, context-aware models to foster genuine digital competence and pedagogical transformation.