The Influence of Digital Competence in the Management and Utilization of Educational Resources among Public University Administrators in Cameroon
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The study examined the influence of digital competence in the management and utilization of educational resources among university administrators in Cameroon. The study was motivated by the increasing integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) into higher education and the concern that the availability of digital infrastructure may not necessarily translate into effective resource management without adequate digital competencies among administrators. The study was anchored on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp). A mixed-methods, cross-sectional research design was adopted. The target population comprised university administrators with responsibilities related to academic administration, finance, ICT, human resources, library services, procurement, planning and student affairs. A multi-stage sampling technique will be employed and a sample of 222 administrators was considered, while questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, Pearson correlation and regression analysis, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings indicated that administrators demonstrated a generally high level of digital competence (M = 3.70, SD = 0.75), with digital communication and collaboration recording the highest mean (M = 4.01). The study concludes that digital competence is an important factor in effective educational resource management and recommends continuous digital professional development, strengthened cybersecurity training, improved digital information systems and enhanced institutional support for digital transformation.
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