Transforming Teacher Pedagogical Competence in the Digital Era: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital technology has transformed educational practices and reshaped the competencies requires of teachers in the 21st century. In this context, teacher pedagogical competence is increasingly expectes to integrate digital literacy, adaptability, and innovative instructional approaches to meet evolving educational demands. This research aims to map and examine the trajectory of teacher pedagogical competence transformation in the digital era through a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed scientific publications from 2016 to 2025. A total of 404 documents were analyzed using performance analysis and science mapping approaches, utilizing the keyword search “Pedagogical Competence” AND “Teacher” within the title, abstract, and keyword fields. The PRISMA procedure was employed for document screening, while VOSviewer was utilized to generate visualizations of author collaboration networks, geographical distributions, and keyword mapping. The results indicate a significant surge in publications after 2020, driven by the accelerated digital transformation triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Indonesia, China, Spain, Russia, and Ethiopia emerged as the most prolific contributing countries, while institutions such as Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia and the University of Valencia were identified as hubs of scientific productivity. Keyword analysis revealed five primary research clusters: Digital Pedagogy and TPACK, Teacher Professional Development, Pre-service Teacher Training, Curriculum & Policy Reform, and 21st Century Skills. The transition from "pedagogical competence" to "digital competence" and "teacher readiness" signifies a global conceptual shift that regards teachers as adaptable, innovative, and technologically proficient digital learning designers. These findings emphasized that TPACK mastery, continuous professional development, and digital readiness constitute the essential foundations of pedagogical competence in the Society 5.0 era. This study contributes to the global understanding of teacher competence evolution and provides strategic recommendations for educational policy, including the strengthening of teacher digital upskilling programs, AI literacy, and curriculum innovation.