Digital competencies of pre-service geography teachers in Serbia

Abstract

This study examines the self-perceived digital competencies of future geography teachers in Serbia through an original empirical survey of 73 pre-service teachers from four universities. This study explored students' frequency of ICT use, technical confidence, pedagogical readiness, and perceptions of institutional digital infrastructure. The findings indicate a high level of self-perceived technical competence and frequent use of digital technologies in learning, with 63% of respondents reporting daily academic use of digital tools. Participants expressed positive attitudes toward the educational value of ICT and recognized its importance in teaching quality. However, lower levels of preparedness were identified in areas related to digital assessment, online safety, and pedagogical application of ICT in teaching. The results also revealed infrastructural limitations, particularly regarding students' access to digital devices in classrooms. This study highlights the need for stronger integration of digital pedagogy, ethical ICT use, and practical technology-based teaching strategies into teacher education curricula in Serbia. Although limited by a relatively small sample and the use of self-reported data, this study contributes to a better understanding of digital readiness among pre-service geography teachers in the context of Serbian higher education.