How capable are they of Becoming a Digital Teacher? Correlation Analysis of Individual Characteristics, Digital Self-efficacy, and Digital Citizenship among Pre-service Teachers in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

Understanding pros and cons of digital technology is an essential competency for pre-service teachers so that they are able to conduct online instruction appropriately. They need to prepare themselves comprehensively to be able to use the new educational technology that is now widely accessible particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic incidence. This paper investigates the relationship between individual characteristics, digital self-efficacy, and digital citizenship among pre-service teachers in higher education. Cluster sampling was used to select 384 pre-service teachers from three higher education institutes located in the northeast of Thailand. A research tool used in the research was an online questionnaire. The data analysis utilized descriptive statistics, the Chi-square test, and the Pearson correlation. The research discovered that pre-service teachers had a relatively high level of digital self-efficacy, while having relatively low level of digital citizenship. Correlation analysis observed a positive relationship among individual characteristics, digital self-efficacy and digital citizenship. The implications of this research highlighted the significance of implementing civic education in higher education level in order to foster adequate knowledge, skill, and awareness of citizenship in pre-service teachers.