Incorporating Digital Technologies into Initial Teacher Education: Enhancing Preservice Teachers’ Skills

Abstract

Little is known about how preservice teachers learn the technological pedagogy and digital skills expected for graduate teaching. This article examines how digital technologies are incorporated into Initial Teacher Education in Victoria, Australia, specifically the Bachelor of Education, and identifies development opportunities for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and digital skills. Case studies were conducted to investigate the practices at two universities. Data was collected through interviews and the collection of artefacts. Analysis was conducted using the lens of a Professional-Digital-Competence (P-DC) framework. The analysis indicates that digital technologies are embedded predominantly within authentic learning tasks that replicate graduate teacher practice. The analysis reveals that universities expect Preservice Teachers to learn most of their generic teaching digital skills on teaching placements. These experiences occur separately from university and typically lack in-class follow-up. It is argued that Initial Teacher Education institutions should integrate the digital knowledge and skills developed at university with the practical application of digital technologies learnt on school placements. Initial Teacher Education institutions should also review the design of assessments to deepen Preservice Teachers’ TPACK development.