Awareness raising: It may be important to encourage critical reflection in methodology courses on the changing nature of teacher roles in the 21st century, with a special focus on the development of facilitation skills (Asztalos, 2022; Divéki, 2024). In this context, the concept of DI could be introduced as a flexible alternative to the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to teaching (Blaz, 2016). Emphasis should be placed on familiarising students with Tomlinson’s (1999) DI framework, and on highlighting that while language proficiency may be the most apparent learner difference in the EFL classroom, other aspects of readiness (e.g., study skills, background knowledge, motivation), learning profiles, and interests are also important DI dimensions. Besides, it would be important to provide students with a realistic image of DI, which focuses not only on its advantages but also on the challenges, and to familiarise them with some solutions to these challenges. In this respect, the affordances of ICT tools, as well as cooperation and communication with colleagues and parents, should be emphasised, and concrete strategies be discussed. Trainees could also benefit from a course specifically focusing on TEDI, which could overview some ICT tools suitable for DI as well as the specific affordances of technology for DI (e.g., self-paced learning, choice, privacy), and the ways in which these help teachers in lesson planning, classroom management and assessment.

Practical exposure to DI: Seeing first-hand how DI and TEDI are practiced is of crucial importance. Since instructors who use DI in their classes may have the potential to significantly impact their trainees’ beliefs and practices of the approach (Dack, 2018, 2019), it would be useful if trainees experienced DI and TEDI being implemented in methodology courses. This would be all the more important given that addressing trainees’ individual differences in such courses has also been shown to positively influence their motivation (Smid, 2022). Besides, organising school visits and lesson observations as part of these courses could provide opportunities for trainees to see how DI is used in various teaching contexts, which, if followed by guided reflection, could serve as another important source of experiential learning (Indiran et al., 2013, Whitley et al., 2019). Moreover, during their practicum, trainees should be encouraged to try their hand at DI in real classroom settings and reflect on their experiences with the support of an experienced professional.