Enhancing Pre-Service Teachers’ AI-TPACK Through Sustainable Development Goals: A Mixed-Methods Study on AI-Supported Web 2.0 Tools

Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, coupled with UNESCO’s Education 2030 vision, necessitate a re-evaluation of teachers’ technological and pedagogical competencies aligned with sustainability goals. This study investigates the impact of pre-service teachers developing digital materials within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using AI and AI-supported Web 2.0 tools (e.g., ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Alayna, Padlet, Canva, Kahoot) on their Artificial Intelligence Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (AI-TPACK) levels. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research was conducted with 31 pre-service teachers over a 10-week applied training period. Data were collected via the AI-TPACK Scale and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative findings revealed that the applied training significantly enhanced the pre-service teachers’ Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), AI-Technological Knowledge (AI-TK), Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), and overall AI-TPACK levels. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the Content Knowledge (CK) dimension. Qualitative data demonstrated that AI-supported tools made the learning environment more engaging and efficient, concretized abstract sustainability concepts, and bolstered the pre-service teachers’ digital self-confidence. Consequently, this study establishes that integrating AI tools into SDG education is an effective strategy for cultivating pre-service teachers’ technopedagogical competencies, empowering them to perceive technology as a facilitator of professional development rather than an instructional barrier.