Development and validation of a Digital Literacy instrument for pre-service teachers: A systematic literature review and proposed MADEL framework

Abstract

This study addresses the fragmented nature of digital literacy measurement in teacher education by establishing an integrative developmental blueprint, the MADEL framework, and presenting a systematic synthesis of existing validation practices. Structuring a systematic literature review (SLR) of 30 high-impact empirical articles published between 2015 and 2026, we examine global methodological trends and identify a pervasive reliance on Classical Test Theory, with an absence of hybrid validation cycles that link content relevance to item calibration and structural verification. To resolve these gaps, we propose the MADEL framework, which synthesises Mardapi's Research and Development (R&D) rigour, DeVellis's scale development guidelines, and Lee & Owens's instructional design principles. The empirical evidence reported in the present study is limited to the content-validation stage of a newly developed 20-item Situational Judgement Test (SJT) designed for pre-service primary school teachers. Expert evaluations by a panel of four senior psychometricians and digital education specialists yield a high content validity index, with an average Aiken's V of 0.88 (SD = 0.068), confirming both the pedagogical and technical relevance of the scenarios. Rasch analysis and CFA are planned for future large-scale validation studies. Accordingly, the current study should be interpreted as a systematic review with a proposed framework and a preliminary pilot, not as a completed hybrid Aiken–Rasch–CFA validation study. The findings offer Indonesian and global Teacher Education Institutions a robust tool for formative diagnostic scaffolding, aiding future educators in navigating digital environments and GenAI tools critically and ethically.