‘Maybe it’s the environment you grow up in?’ Australian primary school students’ reflections on their school-based digital literacy

ABSTRACT

Over the past decade, government policies have placed significance on the development of school students’ digital literacy as essential to their future participation in society. Yet, assessments of digital literacy continue to indicate that most young people use ICT in a relatively limited way, with varying patterns of digital literacy associated with family background. Drawing on the theory of practice, this qualitative study sought to examine the school-based digital literacy of four Australian primary school students from their own perspectives. Data were collected from home technology experience questionnaires, school-based digital literacy tasks and semi-structured interviews. The results of the study illuminated factors that worked to enable and constrain school-based digital literacy including students’ home and school experiences with digital technologies and the different ways that students were able to leverage such experiences. The authors consider the implications for curriculum and pedagogy and provide suggestions for further research.

KEYWORDS:

• Primary school education
• digital literacy
• digital inequalities
• theory of practice
• student perspective

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tiffani Apps

Dr Tiffani Apps is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Her current research focuses on children and young people’s digital literacy practices across early years, school and higher education settings.

Shirley Agostinho

Associate Professor Shirley Agostinho is the Head of Research in the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Shirley’s research focuses on investigating how information and communication technology (ICT) can be used to enhance learning.

Sue Bennett

Professor Sue Bennett is Head of the School of Education at the University of Wollongong. Sue’s research investigates how students and teachers engage with technology in their everyday lives and in educational settings.