Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions of the Role of Their Digital Pedagogy in Mitigating the Digital Divide Among Students

Abstract

Digital pedagogy has become an essential part in education especially in English as a Foreign Language contexts, where it greatly contributes to improving students’ language proficiency and encourages their participation and engagement. However, its integration still faces several challenges, the most important of which is the digital divide. The presented study adopt a mixed method in order to investigates the role of teacher training in digital pedagogy in reducing the impact of the digital divide and improving students’ English language proficiency in Algerian EFL classrooms. It also aims to explore teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the use of digital tools in language learning and teaching. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, three research questions were formulated: 1) How prepared teachers are to use digital pedagogy effectively in Algerian EFL Classrooms? 2) How does teacher training on digital pedagogy improve students’ language proficiency in Algerian EFL classrooms? 3) How does the digital divide affect students’ learning? To answer these questions, two questionnaires were administered: the first to EFL teachers and the second to second and third year university students in the Department of Foreign Languages at Abelhafid Boussouf University of Mila, to collect their perceptions and opinions regarding digital pedagogy and digital divide. The findings indicate that both teachers and students agreed that the use of digital technologies in EFL classrooms has a positive effect. The results also showed that teacher training in digital pedagogy is the most significant factor in improving students’ language proficiency. However, unequal access to technology, limited internet connectivity, and differences in digital skills still affect the effectiveness of digital learning environments.