Article
Digital Pedagogical Readiness Among Teacher Trainees in the Era of Smart Learning
Digital technologies are rapidly evolving, and as a result, education has changed, leading to a need for teachers who can effectively use digital technologies in education. The digital pedagogical competency relates to teacher trainees' ability to design, implement and evaluate technology enhanced learning, and it has been identified as a critical competency in the smart learning era. This paper aims to investigate the level of digital pedagogical readiness of teacher trainees and to analyze the factors that influence their readiness to smart learning environments.
The research is descriptive type and data source used are primary and secondary data. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used, with primary data gathered from structured questionnaires, distributed to teacher trainees in teacher education institutions, and secondary data gathered from scholarly articles, policy documents and educational technology reports. It examines different aspects of digital pedagogical readiness such as digital literacy, technological proficiency, online communication skills, instructional design skills, readiness to new technologies, and attitudes towards digital learning.
The results suggest that the overall attitude of teacher trainees in technology integration is positive, and they have satisfactory levels of basic digital competence. Yet there is a lack of knowledge in advanced pedagogical applications, in the creation of digital content and in data-driven teaching, as well as in effective smart learning tools use. Technology infrastructure, which was limited, less practical training, and differences in institutional supports were noted as key challenges to readiness. The study emphasises the need to reinforce the elements of the digital pedagogy in the teacher training curriculum and to offer students continuous professional development.
The study demonstrates the need to develop digital pedagogical readiness in order to equip future teachers with the necessary skills to respond to new demands of smart learning ecosystems. Hands-on technological training, innovative pedagogy and the development of digital competency can play a major role in enhancing education quality and developing learner-centered pedagogy in modern classrooms.
