Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking Skills among Secondary Students
Keywords:
digital literacy, critical thinking, secondary education, urban Japan, information evaluation, educational technologyAbstract
This study investigates the relationship between digital literacy and critical thinking skills among secondary students in urban Japan, examining how technological competencies influence analytical reasoning and evaluative judgment. Through a mixed-methods approach involving 342 students from six secondary schools in Tokyo and Osaka, the research employed digital literacy assessments, critical thinking tests, and qualitative interviews to explore the multifaceted connections between these competencies. The findings reveal three significant dimensions: the varying levels of digital literacy across different technological domains, the complex relationship between digital competence and critical thinking abilities, and the pedagogical factors that mediate this relationship. Quantitative analysis demonstrated moderate positive correlations between advanced digital literacy skills and critical thinking performance, while qualitative data revealed that mere technological proficiency does not automatically translate to critical engagement with digital content. The study identifies crucial distinctions between technical digital skills and critical digital literacy, highlighting the importance of educational interventions that cultivate both technological competence and analytical reasoning. These findings have important implications for curriculum development, teacher preparation, and educational policy in Japan's increasingly digitalized learning environments.
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