Developing Digital Competence: Effective Strategies for Pre-Service Teacher

Abstract

This paper is a review of new research in the world on generation and development of digital competence in pre-service teacher training. From the analysis of forty open-access articles (2018–2025) that meet the set criteria, five overarching strategies in addressing future work are identified: (1) framework-aligned curriculum, (2) blended and flipped pedagogical models, (3) project-based experiential learning, (4) reflective assessment and micro-credentialing including emerging literacies such as AI, data ethics, computational thinking. Results illustrate that effective development of digital competence is dependent on institutionalisation through the nesting of global frameworks, such as DigCompEdu and TPACK in local curricula, while taking into consideration factors relating to institutional capacity and national policy. The paper concludes with the introduction of the D-COMP framework--(Discover, Connect, Operate, Model and Propagate) as a five-staged model for incremental development of digital competence in Pakistani teacher-education institutions. The suggestions emphasize curriculum, professional development for faculty, micro-credentialing, and exposure to AI ethics so as to best prepare the next generation of teachers for responsible digital pedagogy.