The accelerating transition into the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR) has intensified the demand for digitally competent, critically engaged, and adaptive learners. However, in many education systems, particularly in small island developing states such as Fiji, a significant and widening gap exists between students’ digital competencies and teachers’ technological readiness. This paper critically examines the digital pedagogy divide in Fiji, arguing that while students are increasingly immersed in technology-rich environments, many educators remain constrained by limited digital skills, insufficient professional development, and policy–practice disconnects.

Drawing on a qualitative-dominant analytical framework, the study synthesizes existing literature, policy documents, and contextual evidence to interrogate the extent to which current education policies effectively address this disparity. The analysis reveals that although national frameworks emphasize digital transformation and 21st-century skills, implementation remains fragmented due to infrastructural inequities, limited teacher training, and restrictive institutional practices, including the prohibition or limited integration of digital devices in classroom settings. These contradictions highlight a critical tension between policy aspirations and pedagogical realities.

The paper further argues that the persistence of this divide is not merely a technological issue but a pedagogical and systemic challenge, rooted in traditional teaching models that have not evolved in tandem with the demands of the 5IR. It emphasizes the need to reposition teachers as facilitators of digitally mediated, student-centred learning, supported by continuous professional development, culturally responsive pedagogies, and inclusive digital policies. In the Fijian context, the integration of indigenous knowledge systems and relational approaches to learning is also essential in ensuring that digital transformation is both contextually relevant and socially sustainable.

By foregrounding the limitations of policy-driven approaches alone, this paper contributes to ongoing debates on educational reform by proposing a more holistic model that integrates teacher capacity-building, pedagogical innovation, and systemic alignment. It concludes that bridging the digital pedagogy divide in Fiji requires a paradigm shift, from compliance-based policy implementation to transformative, practice-oriented strategies that empower both teachers and learners to thrive in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world.

Digital Pedagogy Divide, Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR), Teacher Readiness, Student Competencies, Educational Policy, Fiji Education, Digital Literacy, Pedagogical Transformation, Teacher Professional Development, Technology Integration

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