A Mapping the Conceptual Structure of Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Competence Research: A Bibliometric and Systematic Review

This study explores pre-service teachers’ digital competence (PDC) through a combined bibliometric and systematic literature review of 537 journal articles published between 2015 and 2024 in the Web of Science Core Collection. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, data were systematically retrieved, screened, and analyzed using keyword co-occurrence, co-citation, and collaboration mapping. Results reveal a shift from early technology-oriented approaches to a multi-dimensional perspective encompassing cognitive, affective, and contextual factors. Based on qualitative synthesis, a seven-dimensional framework was proposed, including technical operation, instructional integration, information literacy, digital ethics, self-efficacy, learning transfer, and practicum support. The findings highlight that PDC develops progressively along the “learner–intern–pre-service teacher” continuum, shaped by both individual and environmental factors. Theoretically, this study extends the TPACK and DigCompEdu frameworks to the pre-service context, and practically, it provides implications for teacher education curriculum design, professional training, and policy development aimed at strengthening digital competence in teacher preparation programs.