Comparative Analysis of the Digital Teacher Competency Framework within the Digital Ecosystem for Teacher Training (DETT) Project and International Digital Competence Standards

Abstract

Purpose. This study compares Türkiye's Digital Ecosystem for Teacher Training (DETT/ÖGEDEP) Digital Teacher Competencies Framework with three internationally established frameworks for teachers' digital competence, focusing on structural and conceptual alignment and differentiation. Method. A qualitative document analysis was conducted to systematically compare the DETT framework with DigCompEdu (Redecker, 2017), the ISTE Standards for Educators (2024), and UNESCO's ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (ICT-CFT v3.0; 2018). Deductive thematic coding was combined with matrix-based cross-walking across eight analytical dimensions, using explicit coding units and full, partial, and indirect match criteria. Findings. The DETT teacher digital competency framework aligns substantially with international frameworks in core competency domains and pedagogical orientation. Its Awareness–Functionality–Actionability structure conceptualizes teacher development as a context-sensitive, practice-oriented spiral, rather than a linear proficiency scale, aligning with UNESCO's phased model and ISTE's role-based conception of teacher development. The DETT framework's distinctive contribution lies in its explicit emphasis on sustainability, ethical responsibility, and the continuity of education during emergencies as competency indicators, which are addressed only indirectly or peripherally in the international frameworks reviewed. Implications. This study provides a conceptual foundation for developing ecosystem-oriented and ethically grounded approaches to digital teacher education. It also presents a policy model for integrating competency frameworks with national education priorities. These implications arise from the DETT framework's distinctive focus on sustainability, ethical responsibility, and continuity of education during emergencies, as well as its alignment with international frameworks. Recommendations for instrument development and qualitative field research are also provided.