Fostering Multiliteracies in Language Teacher Education Through Digital Storytelling: Assessing the Effectiveness of an Online Professional Development Intervention

Abstract

The integration of digital tools into education has redefined language teaching and learning, a shift further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid ‘digital turn’ brought both opportunities and challenges, particularly highlighting teachers’ limited digital competences. Within this context, Digital Storytelling (DST), which combines traditional narrative with multimedia resources, has gained attention as a means to support teachers’ professional development in multiliteracies. While existing research has largely focused on pre-service language teacher training, little is known about the role of DST in the continuous development of in-service teachers, especially those teaching Italian abroad in the post-pandemic era. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effectiveness of an online professional development intervention (PDI) aimed at enhancing the multiliteracies of 29 Italian language teachers working at the Dante Alighieri Society in Argentina. The PDI focused on the integrated use of authentic, multimodal materials and digital tools. Changes in teachers’ self-assessed multiliteracies skills, beliefs, and practices were analyzed through pre- and post-training questionnaires, reflective diaries, and follow-up questionnaires. Results show that the online PDI promoted more critical, nuanced understandings of multiliteracies and fostered professional growth, while also revealing persistent challenges in applying new digital practices due to contextual limitations.