Examining Teacher Educators’ Role in Enhancing Digital Competence in Vietnam’s Teacher Training Policies

Digital competence, which includes not only the capacity to utilize digital technologies but also the critical comprehension of digital environments, ethics, and pedagogy, has emerged as a fundamental component in the development of contemporary educational systems. Regarding Vietnam’s continuous efforts toward digital transformation, teacher educators bear a critical responsibility to prepare future teachers who can effectively navigate rapidly evolving educational and societal landscapes. The qualitative research investigates the roles and responsibilities assigned to teacher educators within Vietnam’s national teacher training. Through thematic analysis, the research identifies key themes related to examining the role of teacher educators in the advancement of digital competence in teacher education in Vietnamese policies. Professional engagement, digital resources, teaching and learning, the role of the teacher educator in fostering learners’ digital competencies, digital pedagogy, using digital tools, conceptual development, and transfer facilitation, which aids the aspiring teacher in navigating the digital teaching and learning environment, are the areas of inquiry. Findings demonstrate the teacher educators and teacher training student are embracing the integration of digital pedagogy based on tool access, pedagogical development, and understanding. This research shows that teacher educators and their students need strengthened experiential knowledge and confidence in translating digital experiences into classroom environments. It underscores that for digital competence to be meaningfully embedded in teacher education, teacher educators must demonstrate strong policy literacy, adaptive pedagogical skills, and reflective professional practice. These capabilities enable them to mediate policy intentions into practical, context-responsive teaching approaches, ultimately contributing to a resilient and forward-thinking digital education landscape within Vietnam.