Collaborative Design Through Authentic Design Challenges: Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Digital Competence Development and SQD-Aligned Supports

Collaborative design is recognized as a promising approach to strengthening preservice teachers’ digital competence, yet its potential when design tasks approximate the complexities of classroom practice remains underexplored. This mixed-methods study investigated a Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence (SQD)-aligned collaborative design course in which 23 final-year preservice secondary mathematics teachers, organized in six teams, spent ten weeks designing technology-enhanced lesson materials for authentic design challenges posed by in-service teachers. Using questionnaires and interviews, this study explored preservice teachers’ perceived digital competence development and their perceptions of the SQD-aligned course supports. Regarding competence development, participants indicated increases in self-assessed cognitive (technological knowledge, TPACK) and motivational (technology-integration self-efficacy, perceived ease of use) digital competence dimensions. Qualitative findings linked these perceptions to heightened technological awareness and confidence but noted limited tool mastery due to reliance on familiar technologies and efficiency-driven task division. Concerning course supports, authentic challenges enhanced motivation and context-sensitive reasoning, while layering scaffolds (guidelines, coaching, and microteaching feedback) supported navigating the open-endedness of the design task. Yet calls for earlier feedback and technology-related modeling underscore the need for further scaffolding to adequately support autonomy in technology selection and integration. Findings inform teacher education course design for fostering preservice teachers’ digital competencies.