Navigating ICT Integration: Empowering Teacher Educators to Cultivate TPACK 21st-century Learning Skills in Pre-Service Teachers

Background/purpose. Current language teaching pedagogy cannot merely be ‘digitised’. Instead, new teaching methods must be developed when new technologies are introduced. However, the training in ICT integration was somewhat limited, and the modelling of ICT integration was lacking. Teacher educators themselves are struggling to keep abreast of current technologies. They are using and teaching with technology, but not necessarily teaching how to use it effectively. The biggest challenge in using ICT in Teaching and Learning is not the technology itself but the changes in the way it is being used to teach. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to the development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for quality ICT integration, thereby cultivating 21st-century learning skills (TPACK21cls) based on the SAMR model. Materials/methods. Through qualitative methods, data were collected via interviews and reflections from 11 TESL pre-service teachers on their experiences of learning to use ICT tools for teaching and learning (T&L). Three teacher educators teaching the programme were also interviewed for triangulation purposes. Results. The findings reveal a gap in guiding pre-service teachers to effectively integrate ICT tools for communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Notably, teacher educators primarily utilized ICT tools at basic substitution and modification stages in the SAMR model, thereby limiting transformative learning experiences. Conclusion. This underscores the significance of equipping teacher educators with the necessary skills for proficient ICT integration, thereby adequately preparing pre-service teachers to meet the evolving demands of modern education. Thus, a tailored guide is proposed to support teacher educators in delivering TPACK21cls to pre-service teachers.