Abstract:

The fact that students exist, survive and had a quality life in the technology-oriented world of the future is of crucial importance. Thus, the education system is required to adapt to innovations and teachers need to possess innovative pedagogy and digital material design competence. In this regard, this study aimed to examine the relationship between innovative pedagogy practices and digital material design competencies of teachers. 272 teachers working in Public Elementary Schools in a city in the eastern part of Turkey participated in the study. The relational survey model was adopted in the study and the data were collected using "Innovative Pedagogy Practices Scale" and "Digital Material Design Competencies Scale". The findings showed that the participants had high levels of innovative pedagogy practices and digital material design proficiency perceptions. It was found that participants’ proficiency in innovative pedagogy and digital material design perceptions did not differ by gender and discipline. In addition, a significant difference was not found with regard to the work experience in the innovative pedagogy practices of the participants. However, there was a significant difference in the digital material design proficiency perceptions with regard to work experience. It was also found that innovative pedagogy practices and digital material design competency perceptions differed significantly by educational status. Accordingly, innovative pedagogy practices and digital material design competency perceptions increased with the increase in education level. The relationship between innovative pedagogy practices and digital material design competencies of the participants was positive and moderate in all sub-dimensions. Therefore, it can be concluded that teachers having cognitive competence related to innovative pedagogy practices also have high digital material design competencies.

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