The effectiveness of digital literacy instruction on creative thinking, sense of responsibility, and perceived competence in sixth-grade female students

Bahmani, T.

doi:10.22061/tej.2026.12573.3304

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Author

T. Bahmani

Department of Educational Management, Be. C., Islamic Azad University, Behbahan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22061/tej.2026.12573.3304

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The development of societies depends on having creative and responsible individuals who believe and trust in their own competence and capabilities. Raising such a generation requires aligning the educational system with knowledge, technology, and current developments in the world. Digital technology and tools are now so intertwined with human lives that UNESCO has included digital literacy as part of the concept of literacy, alongside reading and writing skills. Digital literacy is the ability to search, analyze, apply, produce, and share information and content using technological tools. By learning digital literacy, individuals will gain the skills necessary for success in their personal, academic, and professional lives. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of digital literacy training on creative thinking, responsibility, and Competence Perception in sixth-grade students.
Methods: The research method was experimental with a pre-test-post-test design. The statistical population included all sixth-grade female students in Ahvaz in 2023-2024, 60 of whom were selected from schools using convenience sampling and were assigned to two experimental and control groups of 30 students each. Both groups were assessed under the same conditions using the Torrance Creativity Questionnaire, Lewis Responsibility Questionnaire, and Harter Competence Perception as pre-tests. Then, the experimental intervention (digital literacy training) was conducted in person on the experimental group during 12 60-minute sessions, one session per week. During this period, the control group did not receive any educational intervention. The process of the educational sessions was as follows: in each session, a summary of the discussion of the previous sessions was presented, and then the relevant assignments and new topics were presented by the researcher. After training and troubleshooting, at the end of each session, a summary of the session's contents was presented, and the task for the next session was fully clarified and determined. After completing the training sessions, a post-test was administered to both experimental and control groups. Multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance tests were used to analyze the data.
Findings: The results showed that digital literacy training significantly increased the scores of creative thinking (F=181.227, p<0.001) and its components (fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration with details), responsibility (F=120.6, P<0.001) and its components (responsibility towards oneself and responsibility towards others), and Competence Perception (F=499.29, P<0.001) and its components (behavioral competence, social competence, academic competence, and physical competence) in the experimental group. As a result, digital literacy education has a positive and significant effect on creative thinking, responsibility, and perceived competence of sixth-grade female students.
Conclusion: The research findings showed that digital literacy can increase creative thinking, responsibility, and perception of competence in sixth-grade elementary school students. By creating cognitive capabilities, technical skills, and responsible attitudes, this education can pave the way for innovation and creativity by providing diverse learning experiences. By educating students about preserving their own and others' information, security, and privacy, and developing responsible communication skills, it fosters sustainable growth in responsibility. Also, gaining successful experiences and a sense of mastery when working in a digital environment promotes a sense of competence and adequacy. Therefore, it is recommended that digital literacy training be included in the student curriculum.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Educational technology- primary school

COPYRIGHTS
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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