Linguistic Competence and Technophobia: Digital Anxiety in the Construction of Teaching Performance

Abstract

The technophobia experienced by pre-service teachers in terms of digital malaise has increasingly emerged as a serious hindrance to their learning technology-facilitated instruction. This paper investigates the correlations among language proficiency, technophobia and teaching performance in a teacher training environment. Questionnaire responses from undergraduates in education programmed with both STAI-based data and open-ended questionnaire responses were the source of the data analyzed. The results showed that the cause of pre-service teachers’ technophobia is primarily based on situational constraints (i.e., poor access to digital infrastructure and insufficient institutional support) (50% of the responses), followed by personal factors in terms of fear of failure, low self-confidence, and unwillingness to use technology (45%). A further minority (5%) indicated that both influences played a role in shaping their opinions. The repercussions of cyberstress are obvious, such as reduced creativity, avoiding the use of technology in teaching practice, and an inclination to stick to traditional ways, leading to stagnation of interactive and innovative pedagogy. On the contrary, the research points to mitigating discourses that rely on accessible digital tools (Canva, Google Classroom, Quizizz), which provide situational affordances for larger participation, a positive self-bias empowering effect and a gradual reduction in anxiety. Through a discourse-based approach, language use is an important resource for pre-service teachers use to frame their digital anxiety experiences and reshape their teaching abilities. The study finds that addressing technophobia depends on institutional support and approaches to empowerment of student agency in the construction of digital pedagogical proficiency.