Mapping Global Digital Competency Frameworks to Malaysian Teacher Education: A Comparative Analysis of Digcompedu, ISTE, UNESCO ICT-CFT, and SQD2 Models

Abstract

With the advent of the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR), the integration of digital technologies within teacher education becomes not just desirable but a strategic imperative. National policies in Malaysia, like the Dasar Pendidikan Digital and the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education), have emphasized the agenda of developing high-level digital capacities for the future teachers. However, such.teacher preparation programs not infrequently focus on skills development only technically, with little room for approaches toward pedagogical integration. Using a qualitative comparative methodology underpinned by the revised Synthesis of Qualitative Data, SQD2 model, this paper identifies lessons learned from three internationally recognised digital competency frameworks that could best inform the development of pre-service teachers within Malaysian Institutes of Teacher Education (IPGs). Three key frameworks are presented for analysis: UNESCO’s ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (ICT-CFT), the European Commission’s DigCompEdu, and the ISTE Standards for Educators. These are interrogated at the systemic, institutional, and classroom levels. The findings stress the need for a pedagogy-first approach, collaborative professional learning environments, learner-centered strategies, and the development of students' own digital competencies. This paper concludes with a three-tier model for the localization of these global practices within Malaysia's teacher education landscape.