Curriculum Literacy in the Digital Age: Enhancing Pre-Service Teachers' Competence through Digital Literacy
Abstract
Curriculum literacy is a core professional competence that enables pre-service teachers to interpret curricula accurately and translate curricular objectives into effective instructional practices. In digitally mediated learning environments, this competence may also support the purposeful use of digital technologies. This study examined the mediating role of digital literacy in the relationship between pre-service teachers’ curriculum literacy and their competence in designing instruction in digital environments. Using a relational survey design, data were collected from 314 fourth-year pre-service teachers enrolled at two state universities in Türkiye. The Curriculum Literacy Scale, Digital Literacy Scale, and Competence Scale for Designing Instruction in Digital Environments were used as data collection instruments. Structural equation modelling was conducted using the robust maximum likelihood estimator, and indirect effects were tested through bootstrapping with 2,000 samples. The findings showed that curriculum literacy significantly predicted competence in designing instruction in digital environments and digital literacy. Digital literacy also significantly mediated the relationship between curriculum literacy and digital instructional design competence (β = .261, 95% CI [.188, .355]). Gender and GPA did not significantly predict digital instructional design competence. Overall, the findings indicate that curriculum literacy contributes to pre-service teachers’ competence in designing digitally supported instruction both directly and indirectly through digital literacy. Teacher education programmes should therefore integrate curriculum literacy and digital literacy in a coordinated manner to strengthen pre-service teachers’ capacity to design curriculum-aligned digital learning environments.
Keywords
Improving classroom teaching, teacher professional development, teaching/learning strategies, distance education and online learning, pedagogical issues
Ethical Statement
This study was reviewed and approved by the University Human Subjects Research Board at Ordu University (Approval Date: 7 December 2023; Protocol No: 09.2023.230). All procedures complied with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Before data collection, participants were fully informed about the aims, procedures, and voluntary nature of the study, and written informed consent was obtained from each participant.
No generative AI tools were used for the creation of original content in this manuscript. All sections of the text were authored by the researchers. Generative AI-based tools (ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, and Grammarly) were employed solely to refine linguistic clarity and ensure the contextual accuracy of the English translation, based on the authors’ original text. These tools were not used for generating academic ideas, arguments, or interpretations, which remain entirely the work of the authors. All references cited in the manuscript were identified, read, and verified by the authors to ensure their accuracy and relevance.
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