Methodological strategy for strengthening digital competencies in teachers from rural communities

Abstract

Introduction: The impact that Information and Communication Technologies have currently brought has marked a milestone in the development of the so-called information society. The article presented aimed to design a methodological strategy to strengthen digital skills in tenth-grade teachers at the Vernaza General Educational Unit through the use of the Book Creator application based on the declared scientific problem: How to contribute to the development of digital skills in tenth-grade teachers at the Vernaza General Educational Unit? Materials and methods: This research adopted a qualitative approach with an exploratory-descriptive scope. The study demonstrated that this tool, integrated into a training process structured in phases (diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation), allowed teachers to overcome technical and attitudinal barriers, transforming their traditional educational practices into innovative and contextualized pedagogical proposals. Results: Despite the connectivity and infrastructure limitations characteristic of rural areas, the strategy enabled teachers to develop digital skills to create interactive materials adapted to their local context, thus improving the quality of student learning. Discussion: The digital divide in rural contexts is not only a problem of technological access, but a pedagogical and social issue that requires comprehensive strategies. Conclusions: The Book Creator-based strategy successfully transformed teaching practices, shifting teachers from passive use of ICTs to designing contextualized interactive materials. The strategy also overcame structural limitations despite intermittent or almost nonexistent connectivity. The creation of offline digital books demonstrated that pedagogical innovation can flourish even in resource-limited environments.