Digital Literacy and Institutional Support as Determinants of AI Usability among Social Studies Pre-Service Teachers in Colleges of Education in Oyo State— Ololade Gbeminiyi Ogundipe & Oluwaseun Oyewole

This study investigates the predictive roles of digital literacy and institutional support in AI usability among social studies pre-service teachers in Colleges of Education in Oyo State. A correlational survey research design adopted, involving 310 randomly selected pre-service teachers from two public Colleges of Education. Three instruments—Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy Scale (PTDLS), Institutional Support Scale (PTISS), and AI Usability Scale (PTAIS)—were used, with reliability coefficients of 0.82, 0.79, and 0.84, respectively. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. Findings showed a significant positive relationship between digital literacy and AI usability (r = 0.438, p < 0.05) and between institutional support and AI usability (r = 0.462, p < 0.05). Both variables jointly accounted for 57% of the variance in AI usability (R² = 0.57, F = 58.72, p < 0.01). Digital literacy (β = 0.49, p < 0.01) had a slightly stronger predictive influence than institutional support (β = 0.44, p < 0.01). The study underscores the need for enhanced digital literacy training and institutional support to improve AI usability in teacher education. It recommends targeted training and policies to strengthen digital competencies and institutional frameworks for AI integration in Colleges of Education.