Developmental Paths of Digital Literacy among Pre-service English Teachers in Human–AI Collaborative Contexts

Abstract

Against the backdrop of educational digital transformation and the growing use of generative artificial intelligence in teacher education, the development of digital literacy among pre-service English teachers deserves closer attention. Drawing on the course English Curriculum Standards and Instructional Design for Secondary Schools at a university in southern China, this study employed a mixed-methods design combining questionnaires and interviews to examine changes in pre-service English teachers’ digital literacy in AI-assisted instructional design. The findings show that participants generally demonstrated a moderately high level of digital literacy and improved through course-based learning. Their development diverged into three paths: active, steady, and constrained. These differences were shaped mainly by their understandings of the educational value of AI, their capacity for human–AI collaboration, and their ability to integrate AI into subject-specific pedagogical work. The study contributes to a more dynamic understanding of digital literacy among pre-service English teachers and offers implications for course design and the integration of AI into teacher education.