DIGITAL CAPABILITIES AND TEACHERS' PREPAREDNESS IN THE NEW NORMAL

Teaching with technology is made much more difficult considering the challenges newer technologies pose to teachers. Teachers are aware that teaching is indeed a complex activity that calls for the synthesis of a wide variety of specialized knowledge in TPACK represents in determining the preparedness of educators to successfully use technology to teach in the new normal and for the approaching fourth industrial revolution. This study ascertained the teachers’ perception towards their digital capabilities and their preparedness to teach in the new normal. The descriptive research design was used with researchers-made questionnaire as a primary tool for collecting data. Respondents were eighty-four (84) public school secondary teachers of Sto. Tomas South District in the Division of Batangas Province. Statistical tools used to test data were mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Coefficient at .01 level of significance. The respondents perceived their digital capabilities as Much Capable while they evaluated their preparedness in the new normal in terms of the TPACK framework as Prepared. More importantly, it was found that there is significant relationship between the digital capabilities of teachers and their preparedness in the new normal. The results provide information about what has and has not been studied in a variety of literary works, as well as their relevance to the wider perspective of digital integration in schools. Digital competencies were highlighted that serve as contributing factors in assessing the preparedness of teachers to teach in this digital era