In response to the growing need for digital competence in the education sector, a targeted training programme was conducted for a selected group of school teachers in Sri Lanka, aiming to enhance their capacity to integrate technology into classroom practices. Delivered through a series of interactive workshops and hands-on sessions, the training equipped participants with practical skills and pedagogical strategies for technology-enhanced instruction. Emphasis was placed on contextual relevance, accessibility, and scalability of digital tools within the Sri Lankan school system. For this pilot study, the participant group was selected from two of the leading schools in Sri Lanka, which had adequate resources and infrastructure for both teachers and students to access digital tools. Therefore, the programme was designed with the assumption that the participants had a basic level of digital literacy to follow the programme with a moderate level of effort. The programme included learning management systems, artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies for education, automated assessments, interactive teaching tools, digital content creation, and data privacy concerns. However, during the early sessions of the programme it became evident that the initial assumption about the digital literacy of the teachers proved to be inaccurate. The resource persons had to adjust accordingly and spend more time than expected to get the participants familiar with basic tasks, including logging into email accounts and a learning management system. This descriptive study presents the findings of this programme, which provides insights into how in-service training programmes for school teachers should be designed and delivered. Feedback from the participants was collected through surveys and focus group interviews. The preliminary response from the participants indicated increased confidence in using online platforms, designing digital learning activities, and leveraging AI-driven tools to support diverse learner needs. It is evident that even though emerging AI-powered technologies are in high demand and generate enthusiasm, competence in basic technology is essential for teachers. This study offers a reusable model for professional development of teachers that aligns with national education goals and global digital literacy standards, which would benefit the teaching community at a broader level.

Keywords: Technology for teachers, Digital literacy, AI for education, Life-long learning, In-service training, Professional development of teachers, Technology-enhanced learning, ICT and digital skills, Teacher training and support.