Evaluating professional digital competence in ELT: Insights from initial teacher education programs and pre-service teachers’ perceptions
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The global demand for digitally skilled teachers has risen significantly, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted conventional teaching practices. Initial teacher education programs are widely regarded as critical platforms for the early development of professional digital competence among teacher candidates. This study examines how professional digital competence is incorporated into initial teacher education programs in Türkiye and explores pre-service teachers’ perceptions of both the current curricula and their own competence levels. Data were collected through a perception scale and three focus group interviews with 142 senior ELT pre-service teachers from one state and two foundation universities in Istanbul. The findings reveal that pre-service teachers are largely critical of the education and guidance they received regarding digital competence. Many participants perceived their university instructors and mentor teachers as ineffective role models, citing in particular the limited demonstration of educational technology use in teaching practices. This study highlights the urgent need for stronger alignment between teacher education curricula and classroom practices to ensure that professional digital competence is effectively modeled, practiced, and embedded across both coursework and practicum experiences.
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