Essential Teaching Skills and Strategies for Improving Teachers’ Competence in Digital Era in Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja

The digital era has changed teaching and learning, making digital competence essential for effective classroom practice. This study examined the teaching skills needed for 21st-century classrooms, teachers' current digital pedagogical competence, institutional and infrastructural factors affecting digital teaching, and strategies for improvement. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and was carried out in the School of Management Studies, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja. The population comprised 100 students and 50 lecturers, and the entire population was studied. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire titled Questionnaire on Digital Teaching Skill in the Digital Era (QDTSDE). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The findings showed that respondents agreed that effective digital teaching requires computer and device use, creation of digital instructional materials, use of learning management systems, technology integration, and online assessment. The respondents also indicated that teachers' digital competence is moderate, with stronger ratings for designing interactive digital lessons and lower ratings for providing feedback through digital platforms. In addition, poor internet access, weak institutional support, inadequate devices, and unstable power supply were identified as major barriers, while access to digital training was the only institutional factor rated positively. Regular ICT training, improved infrastructure, government funding, peer collaboration, and inclusion of digital skills in teacher education were recommended as strategies for improvement. The study concludes that digital teaching competence requires both teacher preparation and strong institutional support