Impact of In-Service Digital Pedagogy Training on Classroom Practices

Abstract

The rapid digitalisation of school systems worldwide has placed new demands on teachers to integrate digital tools meaningfully into everyday instruction. In-service digital pedagogy training has emerged as a principal policy lever for building this capacity, yet questions remain about whether such training translates into sustained changes in classroom practice rather than superficial technology use. This paper presents a systematic review and conceptual synthesis of empirical and theoretical literature on the impact of in-service digital pedagogy training on classroom practices. Drawing on the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, Ertmer's first- and second-order barriers model, and Desimone's core-features framework for effective professional development, the review synthesises findings from peer-reviewed studies published between 1999 and 2025. The synthesis indicates that well-designed, sustained, and collaborative training programmes reliably improve teachers' digital self-efficacy and technology-related beliefs, and that these gains are associated with more frequent and more pedagogically purposeful use of digital tools in the classroom. However, the translation of training into practice is uneven, moderated by teachers' prior confidence, school-level infrastructure, leadership support, and the extent to which training is content-focused rather than merely technical. The paper concludes that digital pedagogy training is necessary but not sufficient for classroom transformation, and that policy and institutional support structures must accompany training for durable pedagogical change to occur.