Digital Literacy and Moral Values in the Digital Environments - Secondary Students’ Perceptions

Oct 15, 2026

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This paper examines secondary school students’ perceptions of moral values in the digital environments (MVDE) and digital literacy (DL). Using a quantitative methodology with a correlational survey design and 250 participants, the study finds mostly high DL perceptions and mostly intermediate MVDE perceptions. Gender shows no significant differences in either construct, while grade relates to MVDE only, with lower grades scoring higher. Social media use raises DL scores, and online time over three hours lowers MVDE. MVDE and DL are positively correlated at a moderate level, with MVDE explaining 19.6% of DL.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Digital tools and the need for digital competence

Digital citizenship and ethical challenges

Digital literacy, responsibilities, and awareness

Terminological issues and multidimensional definitions

Digital Literacy and Moral Values in the Digital Environments: Secondary Students’ Perceptions A journal of educational research and practice 2024 Vol. 33 (2) 32−54 [https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked](https://journals.library.brocku.ca/brocked) Ertan Altinsoy 1* , Serkan Boyraz2 1 School of Foreign Languages, Aksaray University 2 Faculty of Education, Aksaray University Abstract This paper examines secondary school students’ perceptions of moral values in the digital environments (MVDE) and digital literacy (DL) . The study used a quantitative methodology and correlational survey design encompassing 250 participants. Results show that participants’perceptions of DL are mostly high , while their perceptions of MVDE are mostly intermediate. Gender is not a source of significant difference in terms of either DL or MVDE. While grade isnot a variable affecting DL, lower grades have statistically significant higher values in terms of MVDE. Participants who use social media have significantly higher DL scores, while the difference in MVDE is not significant in terms of the same variable. Like gender, online gaming is not a source of significant difference in terms of both DL and MVDE. Daily online time is not related to a significant difference in DL; however, those who are online for more than 3 hours daily have a significantly lower MVDE than those who spend less time online. Finally, results show that MVDE and DL are positively correlated at a moderate level , and MVDE explains 19.6% of DL. To conclude, MVDE should be fostered amongst individuals as it would help them become “better” citizens in the digital world, much like moral values do in real life. Keywords: digital literacy, moral values, digital environment, secondary school students * [ertanaltinsoy@gmail.com](ertanaltinsoy@gmail.com) Introduction With the rapid development of technology, digital tools have begun to impact every aspect of our lives in the 21 st century. This involves the ability to navigate and accomplish tasks and duties on digital platforms. Perhaps one of the fundamental impacts of technology has been on education, revolutionizing the ways we provide education and the ways students reach information (Bulman & Fairlie, 2016) . It is now compulsory for learners to possess a set of certain skills to fulfill educational tasks that require searching for information in the digital environment, synthesizing it , and applying it to the new learning contexts in a safe and secure way. In other words, it is vital to become a digital citizen today to be able to operate effectively in the digital world. In this respect, we assume that successful education prepares learners for the digital world and trains them as individuals who can use digital technology effectively and appropriately. Digital citizenship has been defined as the ability to uncover information and interact with people digitally, which entails a range of skills to process and evaluate information and realize the consequences responsibly (Prasetiyo et al. , 2021) . According to Hobbs and Jensen (2009) , digital citizenship is: the skills and knowledge needed to be effective in the increasingly social media environment, where the distinction between producer and consumer has evaporated and the blurring between public and private worlds creates new ethical challenges and opportunities for children, young people, and adults. (p. 5) Perhaps the most concise definition is forwarded by Ribble et al. (2004), who proposed that digital citizenship is the norms of behaviour with regard to technology use, and identified nine general areas of behaviour that constitute digital citizenship: (a) etiquette,(b) communication ,(c) education, (d) access ,(e) commerce , (f) responsibility,(g) rights,(h) safety , and (i) security. As made clear from the definitions above, digital literacy imposes a number of responsibilities on individuals that are intended to regulate the users’ digi

FAQs

What does the study investigate about secondary students?

It investigates students’ perceptions of moral values in digital environments (MVDE) and their digital literacy (DL).

How do gender and grade relate to MVDE and DL?

Gender does not create significant differences in either DL or MVDE. Grade affects MVDE but not DL, with lower grades showing higher MVDE values.

What relationship is found between MVDE and DL?

MVDE and DL are positively correlated at a moderate level, and MVDE explains 19.6% of DL.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Blitz