Digital Competence in Pre-Service Teachers: A Comparative Study

In the 21 st century, digital competence has become an essential skill for educators, particularly in the context of teacher education.Pre-service teachers are expected to be proficient in integrating digital tools and technologies into pedagogical practices.This study aims to analyze the level of digital competence among B.Ed. trainees in Lakhimpur-Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh, with a comparative focus on trainees from government and self-financed colleges.A survey method was employed, using Digital Competence Assessment Questionnaire constructed by Shipra Srivastava and Kiran Lata Dangwal based on four dimensions viz.Technological/Operational/Instrumentor, Information Processing and Management, Pedagogical/ Knowledge Construction and Digital Citizenship.A sample of 102 B.Ed. trainees was selected through stratified random sampling from both government and self-financed institutions across the district.The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to identify differences in digital competence levels across institutional types and demographic variables.The findings reveal significant disparities in digital competence between trainees of government and self-financed colleges.While most trainees demonstrated basic ICT literacy, the pre service teachers from Government College have scored better than that of Self Finance College.The study highlights the urgent need for targeted digital literacy programs within B.Ed. curricula, especially in rural and under-resourced colleges.This research contributes to the understanding of digital preparedness among future educators and underscores the need for policy reforms to bridge the digital divide in teacher education across districts like Lakhimpur Kheri.