EFL Teachers’ Digital Identity Development: Reaching out to Teacher Engagement Based on Experience Levels

This mixed-methods study examined digital identity development and engagement among ۷۷ novice and experienced Iranian EFL teachers, with particular attention to experience-based differences and perceived barriers to pedagogical digital integration. Data were collected through an adapted Digital Identity Scale and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analyses revealed that novice teachers significantly outperformed experienced teachers in overall digital identity as well as in digital pedagogical content knowledge, digital intercultural and lifelong learning, professional digital criticality, and digital professional agency, with moderate to large effect sizes. The findings suggest that digital identity is a dynamic, socially mediated construct influenced by generational exposure to technology and ongoing participation in digital environments. However, differences in reported pedagogical enactment were comparatively modest, suggesting that digital competence does not automatically translate into instructional implementation. Thematic analysis identified four interrelated categories of barriers—technical, institutional, pedagogical, and personal—whose salience varied by experience level. While experienced teachers emphasized resistance to change, confidence-related tensions, and identity vulnerability, novice teachers highlighted challenges in managing digitally enriched classrooms. Overall, digital identity emerged as a dynamic, socially situated construct shaped by agency, emotional readiness, and institutional affordances. The study underscores the need for differentiated and context-sensitive professional development models to sustain meaningful digital engagement in EFL settings.

کلیدواژه ها:

Digital identity development ، Digital pedagogical content knowledge ، professional development ، Teacher engagement