EFL students’ digital literacy in the 21st century: Skills and ethical challenges in Indonesian high school
TL;DR
The findings reveal that while students display moderate digital skills, their proficiency is higher in consumer-related activities like online shopping and communication, however, significant gaps exist in areas like information verification and comparison.
Abstract
This study investigates EFL students' digital literacy and ethical dilemmas at SMA Negeri 1 Halmahera Utara, eastern Indonesia. The aim is to explore how students engage with digital technology, focusing on their technical skills and ethical conduct. A quantitative approach was used to collect data from 75 students via a questionnaire assessing digital abilities and ethical behaviours across 9 and 7 dimensions, respectively. The findings reveal that while students display moderate digital skills, their proficiency is higher in consumer-related activities like online shopping and communication. However, significant gaps exist in areas like information verification and comparison. Regarding digital ethics, students showed reasonable awareness but committed notable ethical breaches, particularly in privacy issues such as sharing images without consent. This research highlights the need to integrate digital literacy and ethics in EFL programs, as students' digital competence and ethical understanding remain underdeveloped. This study makes a significant contribution by thoroughly examining digital abilities and ethics among Indonesian high school students. This study provides a dual perspective on how students engage with digital technology's practical and ethical aspects, contrasting with prior research that examines these domains in isolation. The results underscore significant deficiencies in students' digital literacy, particularly in information verification, comparability, and understanding of digital privacy and ethics.