ARTICLE SYNTHESIS ON COMPARISON OF STUDENTS’ AND TEACHERS’ OPINIONS TOWARD DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

 Digital citizenship refers to the ability to use technology correctly and appropriately rather that merely using it. In the study Comparison of students’ and teachers’ opinions toward digital citizenship education, the researchers compared the digital citizenship levels of teacher candidates studying in their last year and primary school classroom teachers.

The study breaks down digital citizenship into nine sub dimensions: “Digital Access, Digital Trade, Digital Law, Digital Rights and Responsibilities, Digital Health, and Digital Security.” Researchers ask the two sets of teachers questions about all nine sub dimensions. The study was conducted with a total of 65 individuals, comprising of 38 primary classroom teachers and 27 candidate teachers during the 2020-2021 fall semester. The participants were chosen according to targeted random sampling method. The researchers conducted interviews with open-ended questions related to the nine sub dimensions of digital citizenship using a Google Form.

In their findings, the researchers reported that digital citizenship sub dimension scores of classroom teachers were higher than the teacher candidates, and that the teacher candidates needed digital citizenship education. This was not surprising to me, as the primary classroom teachers already had experience with digital citizenship in the classroom and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study says that universities need to start including some digital citizenship and digital teaching methods into their education programs, so that teaching candidates have this experience before setting foot in the classroom.

The sub dimensions also present a great outline for a digital citizenship curriculum, as each topic hits on a part of digital citizenship we all use. Classroom teachers were more well informed about digital law, behavior on social and using text messages, the study reported. The teacher candidates did not see those digital mediums as negative. Myself did not see the negatives until I also became a teacher, but I had to read about the use of those digital mediums in my employee handbook. The study stated that both sets of classroom teachers stated that they had insufficient knowledge about digital ethics and needed to receive seminar style training. Professional development in being good digital citizens is needed for teachers just as much as the curriculum is needed for students.

I found this study to be interesting in showing how teachers, and candidate teachers, are needing digital citizenship training, which, to me, strengthens the argument to implement such a curriculum into schools for all grade levels.

REFERENCE

Tangül, H., & Soykan, E. (2021). Comparison of students’ and teachers’ opinions toward digital citizenship education. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 752059.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.752059/full