Abstract
The rapid digital transformation and the expansion of smart technologies in higher education have reshaped the educational roles and competencies of faculty members, confronting them with new expectations in teaching and learning. This study was conducted to explore the lived meaning of this transformation from the viewpoint of university instructors and to identify the educational competencies required in the current era. Employing a qualitative approach and a descriptive phenomenological method, the research engaged 14 faculty members from universities in Mashhad, selected through purposive sampling based on their experience teaching in digital environments. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven step method. The analysis yielded 327 significant statements, 84 formulated meanings, four main themes, and fourteen subthemes. Findings indicated that faculty members’ experiences of digital transformation encompass four categories of competencies: cognitive–analytical competencies for coping with change, professional–digital competencies for teaching in smart environments, operational competencies for managing digital classrooms, and developmental and future oriented competencies. The results reveal that digital transformation is not merely a change of tools for faculty members but a multilayered process involving mindset reconstruction, role redefinition, the development of hybrid skills, and the formation of a new professional identity. Accordingly, educational policymaking should give special attention to the systematic development of digital competencies, organizational support, and empowerment programs grounded in faculty members’ lived experiences.