Current Status and Enhancement Strategies of Information Literacy for Foreign Language Teachers in Higher Education in the Digital Era

Abstract

In the digital era, improving information literacy (IL) among foreign language teachers in higher education is crucial for keeping pace with technological advancements. However, challenges persist regarding their IL, including limited proficiency in using information technology (IT) for language instruction, inadequate updates on educational technology, and insufficient institutional support for evaluation and incentives. To address these issues, this study conducted a survey of 286 university teachers in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, including 155 foreign language teachers. The findings indicate: (1) Foreign language teachers' overall IL tends to be moderately below average, with lower mean scores across all IL dimensions compared to all university teachers. Specifically, the level of information knowledge is the lowest, while information awareness and competence are relatively higher; (2) Compared with non-foreign language teachers, foreign language teachers exhibit lower IL levels, notably with significantly lower levels of information knowledge as well as information ethics and security. Based on these results, we recommend strategies for enhancing IL among foreign language teachers, including updating educational concept to enhance the self-learning awareness of IL, implementing systematic and professional training, as well as establishing tailored evaluation criteria and incentive systems. These strategies aim to serve as valuable guidelines for the overall enhancement of IL among foreign language teachers in higher education.