Teacher Digital Competence and Educational Performance in Public Universities of Peru: Nonlinear Evidence with Restricted Cubic Splines

Abstract

Teacher digital competence has acquired a key role in higher education, especially in public universities where digitization processes have been uneven. This study analyzes the relationship between teachers' digital competence and educational performance in public universities in Peru, considering possible nonlinear effects. A quantitative approach was used, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional design, applying surveys to a sample of 30 university students. Educational performance was operationalized in three dimensions—professional performance, personal performance, and social performance—while the learning experience was measured through lesson planning, classes with a predominance of procedures, and the level of perceived learning. The analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and linear regression models compared with nonlinear models using restricted cubic splines. The results show positive and significant associations between the analyzed dimensions, as well as substantial improvements in the fit of the nonlinear models compared to traditional linear specifications. In particular, non-homogeneous effects are identified, suggesting the presence of thresholds beyond which the pedagogical integration of digital competence translates into higher levels of performance. It is concluded that teachers' digital competence contributes to educational performance only when it is intentionally and systematically integrated into pedagogical practice. The findings provide relevant empirical evidence for the design of teacher training policies and the strengthening of educational quality in Peruvian public universities. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that the relationship between teachers' digital competence and educational performance is not linear, revealing the existence of pedagogical thresholds through the use of restricted cubic splines.