A comparative portrait of pre- and in-service English teachers: Digital awareness, competency, and fluency

This study addresses a key issue in lifelong learning: how teachers adapt to the digital age, incorporating digital skills into teaching, and developing digital awareness, competencies, and fluency. The research aims to analyze the digital profiles of pre-service and in-service teachers within the framework of universal education principles. It explores pre-service and in-service teachers' "digital" characteristics as they prepare future generations for a digital society, highlighting their levels of digital awareness, competence, and fluency and examining these concepts in light of current surge. The study uses a questionnaire sheet of 4 pre-service and in-service teachers. Findings indicate that pre-service teachers exhibit high levels of digital awareness, competence, and fluency compare with the in-service teachers that have tendency to low level of digital world. This research provides an in-depth understanding of digital awareness, competence, and fluency, contributing valuable insights to educational literature and relevant stakeholders. The results of the study also emphasize the need for continuous professional development for in-service teachers to bridge the digital gap. This research contributes to the educational literature by providing insights into digital readiness across different teaching stages and suggests practical implications for curriculum design, teacher training programs, and policy formulation aimed at fostering digitally competent educators.