Teacher preparation for the digital age: Is it still an instrumental endeavor?

Abstract

Preparing student teachers for a profession that continuously changes in relation to digitalisation is a global challenge. By analysing survey data about how teacher educators (N = 389) report that they prepare their students for this challenge, we find that the focus is still on learning to use digital technologies for instrumental purposes, while relating to more fundamental epistemic challenges emerging in digital learning environments receives less attention. We address risks associated with this finding, and how a more concurrent focus on the instrumental and epistemic dimensions of professional digital competence (PDC) can be supported in teacher education.