Educational Psychology and Digital Skills in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic Psicología Educativa Y Las Competencias Digitales En Tiempos De Pandemia Por COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for structural transformations in educational systems worldwide, accelerating the transition toward virtual learning environments while simultaneously exposing the digital, emotional, and pedagogical shortcomings of institutions, teachers, and students. In the Latin American context, this process revealed deep gaps between the informal use of technologies and their formal academic application, while also highlighting the psychological dimension of online learning: autonomy, self-regulation, motivation, and emotional well-being. This article integrates two complementary approaches to the phenomenon: on the one hand, a quantitative diagnostic study conducted with 171 students from the Bachelor’s Degree in Educational Sciences at the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, aimed at evaluating their digital profile and aptitude for online learning; on the other hand, an analysis of the implications of educational psychology in the management of digital skills during and after the pandemic. The results show that students possess an intermediate-to-advanced digital profile and a favorable attitudinal disposition, with over 52% at an advanced level in skills related to engagement, motivation, and virtual collaboration, thereby establishing favorable institutional conditions for the implementation of high-quality virtual programs.

Educational Sciences

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