Disadvantaged middle school students’ digital literacy levels and their critical thinking dispositions

This study investigated the relationship between digital literacy and critical thinking dispositions among middle school students in a disadvantaged region. The participants were 494 students from 5th to 8th grade. Data came from the Digital Literacy Skills Scale and the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale. The results showed that students’ digital literacy was mainly at an upper–intermediate level, while their critical thinking disposition was more in the middle range. Gender did not play a significant role, but both skills tended to improve as the grade level increased. Regression analysis also revealed that critical thinking disposition was a significant predictor of digital literacy (β = 0.268, p <.001). These results demonstrate that digital and critical thinking skills actually complement each other. In general, the study suggests that supporting students in improving their critical digital literacy is necessary if we want them to engage in digital learning as active, thoughtful, and responsible individuals.