Digital fluency levels of generation Z pre-service teachers and their views on in-class digital game activities

The aim of this study is to explore the digital fluency levels of generation Z pre service teachers and their perspectives on in-class digital game activities. The study was designed according to a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach, in which both qualitative and quantitative data were collected simultaneously. The participants consisted of pre-service teachers studying at the Faculty of Education, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University. Quantitative data were obtained from 430 pre-service teachers, while qualitative data were gathered from 50 pre-service teachers. As data collection tools, the Digital Fluency Scale developed by Demir (2018) and a structured interview form were employed. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 24 software through t-tests and ANOVA tests, while the qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. The findings indicated that the participants' digital fluency levels were generally at an upper-intermediate level, corresponding to the response option "Agree." A significant difference was observed in favor of male participants with respect to the "affective" sub-dimension of the scale. Furthermore, significant differences were identified regarding the department variable. Regarding their views on educational digital games, generation Z pre-service teachers predominantly emphasized curiosity, action and adventure, language learning, strategy development, and real-time tactics. In terms of their perceptions of competence in utilizing digital games, the participants highlighted beliefs in effective use, motivational interest, and the effectiveness of higher education courses. Conversely, under the theme of low perceived competence, they reported feelings of inadequacy, the lack of suitable games, personal disinterest, and the insufficiency of faculty courses.