Pedagogical Foundations For Forming Research Competence In Pre-Service Computer Science Teachers In A Digital Learning Environment

Abstract

Preparing pre-service computer science (CS) teachers for contemporary schooling requires more than mastery of programming and didactics; it also demands research competence that enables future teachers to diagnose learning needs, evaluate digital tools, interpret educational data, and improve instruction through evidence-informed inquiry. This article develops a pedagogically grounded framework for forming research competence in pre-service CS teachers within a digital learning environment. Drawing on the teacher-as-researcher tradition, pedagogical content knowledge, technology integration models, and inquiry-oriented learning theory, the paper conceptualizes research competence as an integrated construct that unites epistemic understanding of research, methodological skills, digital-data literacy, ethical responsibility, and reflective professional judgment. The digital learning environment is considered not merely as a set of technologies but as a didactic ecosystem that amplifies authentic inquiry through access to open resources, collaboration networks, analytics, virtual laboratories, and reproducible workflows. Methodologically, the study follows an integrative conceptual approach that synthesizes peer-reviewed scholarship and international competence frameworks to derive design principles and pedagogical conditions for teacher education programs. The results include a coherent model of pedagogical foundations that links learning outcomes, learning activities, mentorship patterns, and assessment logic, and it identifies how scaffolding, community presence, and research–teaching integration can be operationalized through digital platforms. The discussion highlights implementation risks, including superficial tool use, unequal access, and ethical challenges, and proposes mitigation through curriculum alignment, staged inquiry, and transparent assessment criteria. The article concludes that sustainable formation of research competence depends on a program-level design in which digital affordances are intentionally matched to inquiry cycles, professional identity development, and the epistemic culture of computer science education.