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Digital Literacy as a Predictor of Education 4.0 Skills among Prospective Teachers | International Journal of Advances in Business and Management Research (IJABMR)
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Articles
DOI: 10.62674/ijabmr.2026.v3i04.007
Published: 2026-06-12

Digital Literacy as a Predictor of Education 4.0 Skills among Prospective Teachers

Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, 671316 Kerala, India
Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod, 671316 Kerala, India
Digital Literacy Education 4.0 Prospective Teachers Teacher Competency 21st Century Skills

Abstract

Education 4.0 has changed the expectations for teacher preparation, as digital competence is now acknowledged as a prerequisite for creating future-oriented and technology-integrated pedagogical environments. A particularly important group in this context is prospective teachers undergoing pre-service training, whose current levels of digital literacy may substantially determine their readiness to enact the principles of Education 4.0. The present study examined digital literacy as a predictor of Education 4.0 skills among B.Ed. students in Kerala, India. A quantitative descriptive-correlational predictive design was used. A stratified random sample of 320 prospective teachers was selected from four government and government-aided colleges of education. Data were collected using two self-developed and validated instruments: the Digital Literacy Scale (DLS; 30 items; α = 0.89) and the Education 4.0 Skills Questionnaire (E4.0SQ; 35 items; α = 0.91). Data were analysed using Pearson’s product-moment correlation and simple linear regression. Prospective teachers reported moderate-to-high levels of digital literacy (M = 3.72, SD = 0.58) and Education 4.0 skills (M = 3.61, SD = 0.54). A significant positive correlation was found between digital literacy and Education 4.0 skills (r = 0.67, p < 0.001), and regression analysis revealed that digital literacy significantly predicted Education 4.0 skills (β = 0.671, t = 16.10, p < 0.001), accounting for 44.9% of the variance (R² = 0.449). The findings indicate that digital literacy predicts the Education 4.0 skill readiness of prospective teachers. Teacher education programmes should therefore embed structured, multidimensional digital literacy development to prepare teachers for the challenges of Education 4.0 classrooms.

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How to Cite

Shukla, A., & C A, G. (2026). Digital Literacy as a Predictor of Education 4.0 Skills among Prospective Teachers. International Journal of Advances in Business and Management Research (IJABMR), 3(4), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.62674/ijabmr.2026.v3i04.007

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Journal title

International Journal of Advances in Business and Management Research (IJABMR)

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2584-1718

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Swami Vivekananda Global Academy, India

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info@ijabmresearch.org

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