Roxana-Mădălina Cristea is a PhD candidate at Babeș-Bolyai University’s Doctoral School Didactics. Tradition. Development. Innovation. She holds degrees in International Relations and Psychology, with master’s studies in Education Sciences and Health Psychology. Author and editor of several academic works, she reviews for Acta Didactica Napocensia and evaluates PNRR education projects. Her research focuses on metacognition, TPACK integration, virtual learning, teacher training, and intercultural education.

This quantitative study investigates how pre university teachers’ metacognitive awareness and digital competence influence success in Virtual Learning Environments (VLE). Using validated instruments with 123 participants, findings show that both factors predict VLE success, with metacognitive awareness having a stronger independent impact. However, mediating and moderating effects were not supported. The study offers insights for improving teacher training, digital competence frameworks, and future longitudinal research on sustained VLE effectiveness.