TAHAP LITERASI DIGITAL DALAM KALANGAN GURU PELATIH PRAPERKHIDMATAN DI INSTITUT PENDIDIKAN GURU (IPG): ANALISIS BERDASARKAN JANTINA DAN BIDANG PENGKHUSUSAN

THE LEVEL OF DIGITAL LITERACY AMONG PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS AT THE INSTITUTE OF TEACHER EDUCATION (IPG): AN ANALYSIS BASED ON GENDER AND FIELD OF SPECIALISATION

Abstract

Literasi digital merupakan komponen kritikal dalam membentuk guru abad ke-21 yang berdaya saing, namun tahap penguasaan sebenar dalam kalangan guru pelatih praperkhidmatan masih kurang difahami, khususnya dari segi perbezaan jantina dan bidang pengkhususan. Permasalahan ini penting kerana guru pelatih perlu bersedia menghadapi ekosistem pendidikan digital yang semakin kompleks dan mencabar. Justeru, kajian ini dijalankan untuk menilai tahap literasi digital dalam kalangan 520 guru pelatih praperkhidmatan di sebuah Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) di Malaysia serta mengenal pasti perbezaan berdasarkan jantina dan bidang pengkhususan. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan reka bentuk tinjauan. Instrumen soal selidik Literasi Digital oleh Bayrakci dan Narmanlioglu (2021) digunakan, meliputi enam subdimensi utama iaitu Etika dan Tanggungjawab, Pengetahuan Am dan Kemahiran Fungsian, Penggunaan Harian, Penghasilan Lanjutan, Privasi dan Keselamatan, serta Dimensi Sosial. Data dianalisis menggunakan SPSS versi 30 melalui analisis deskriptif dan inferensi. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan tahap literasi digital keseluruhan adalah tinggi, dengan skor tertinggi pada subdimensi Etika dan Tanggungjawab serta Penggunaan Harian, manakala Penghasilan Lanjutan adalah paling rendah. Analisis inferensi mendapati wujud perbezaan signifikan berdasarkan jantina dan bidang pengkhususan. Implikasi kajian menekankan kepentingan latihan literasi digital yang lebih tersusun dan disesuaikan mengikut jantina serta bidang, dengan penekanan kepada pembangunan kemahiran penciptaan kandungan digital bagi melahirkan guru yang bersedia menghadapi cabaran pendidikan digital.

Digital literacy is a critical component in shaping competitive 21st-century teachers; however, the actual level of mastery among pre-service teachers remains insufficiently understood, particularly in terms of gender and specialisation differences. This issue is important as pre-service teachers must be prepared to face an increasingly complex and challenging digital education ecosystem. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the level of digital literacy among 520 pre-service teachers at a Teacher Education Institute (IPG) in Malaysia and to identify differences based on gender and specialisation. This study employed a quantitative approach with a survey design. The Digital Literacy Questionnaire developed by Bayrakci and Narmanlioglu (2021) was used, encompassing six main subdimensions: Ethics and Responsibility, General Knowledge and Functional Skills, Daily Use, Advanced Production, Privacy and Security, and Social Dimension. Data were analysed using SPSS version 30 through descriptive and inferential analyses. The findings indicated that the overall level of digital literacy was high, with the highest scores recorded in the Ethics and Responsibility and Daily Use subdimensions, while Advanced Production was the lowest. Inferential analysis revealed significant differences based on gender and specialisation. The implications of the study highlight the importance of more structured digital literacy training tailored to gender and specialisation, with emphasis on the development of digital content creation skills to prepare future teachers to meet the challenges of digital education.