Leveraging Digital Environments to Foster Critical Literacy Skills in Pre-Service Teacher Education: Insights from an Importance–Performance Analysis

Abstract

The rapid transformation of the digital era has significantly reshaped learning environments over the last decades. Beyond the integration of digital tools into education, the emergence of digital natives has shifted the landscape of higher education, particularly for Generation Z pre-service teachers. These future educators are expected to cultivate Critical Literacy Skills (CLS) for both their personal development and their future teaching roles, as they enter the Society 5.0. This study aims to identify and examine components of the digital learning environment (DLE) that support the enhancement of CLS among pre-service teachers during their education. This researh is quantitative non-experimental, with SERVQUAL design-based Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). The participants were 452 pre-service teachers with prior experience in digital learning, intervention programs, and CLS assessment. Data were collected using a double-Likert Digital Learning Environment Questionnaire, which comprised 15 items on digital activities and 10 items on digital resources/media. Analyses included descriptive statistics, gap analysis, and IPA mapping. Results revealed three items in Quadrant I (“Keep Up the Good Work”), seven in Quadrant II (“Concentrate Here”), seven in Quadrant III (“Low Priority”), and eight in Quadrant IV (“Possible Overkill”). The findings suggest that digital native characteristics may confer students with greater proficiency in specific DLE components compared to their lecturers, particularly in argumentation and reasoning skills that are enhanced by active DLE use. The study recommends further in-depth or longitudinal research and highlights the need for adaptive curricula and learning designs tailored to Generation Z pre-service teachers.