The Effect of Teachers' Professional Development and the Use of Learning Technology on Teachers' Professional Competence and Teaching Motivation with Gender Equality as a Moderating Variable

This study aims to analyse the effect of teacher professional development and the use of learning technology on professional competence and teaching motivation, as well as to examine the role of gender equality as a moderating variable. The study was conducted on 140 primary school teachers in Pule Subdistrict, Trenggalek Regency. The research approach was quantitative, using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) based on Partial Least Squares (PLS) with the assistance of SmartPLS 4.0. The results of the study on the six main hypotheses showed that: (1) Teacher professional development had a significant positive effect on professional competence (T=4.977) and teaching motivation (T=3.985); (2) The use of learning technology has a significant positive effect on professional competence (T=3.567) and teaching motivation (T=3.120); (3) Gender equality is proven to significantly moderate and strengthen the effect of professional development on competence (T=2.560); (4) However, gender equality was not proven to moderate the effect of professional development on teaching motivation (T=1.250). The conclusion of the study is that the integration of technology and gender-inclusive training is crucial for improving teacher quality in semi-rural areas.