Digital Transformation of Teacher Education by Bridging Digital Divide between Teacher Educators and Prospective Teachers

Abstract

Digitalization has profoundly transformed the organizational processes,activities, experiences and teaching-learning models to fully persuade theshifts and prospects of a blend of digital technologies and their elevatingeffects across whole education sector in an ordered, strategic andhighlighted way. Teacher education is highly influenced by the digitaltransformation globally. In Pakistan, it is imperative to digitallytransform teacher education so that by overcoming the current prevailingchallenges. Digital divide is one of the biggest challenges predominatedin teacher education which necessitates to be bridged for meetinglearning needs of prospective teachers. This research study wasconducted to analyze the need and ways to bring digital transformation inteacher education by bridging the digital divide between teachereducators and prospective teaches. The study was descriptive in naturewhich followed quantitative method whereas sample of this studycomprised of prospective teachers and teacher educators from educationdepartments of three universities of Lahore. The study revealed that thereis a dire need to bring digital transformation in teacher education, whilethere exists a prominent digital divide where prospective teachers arecomparatively more superior in digital competencies and digital literacy.It was also found that digital transformation and digital divide are closelyrelated and occurrence of digital transformation is dependent uponapplying strategies to bridge digital divide. The study suggests that ifteacher education institutions employ some digital divide-bridging strategies like e-Training, digitization of curriculum, enhancing digital infrastructure and devising digital strategies, it is possible to beget digital transformation in teacher education.