1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The term "literacy" has undergone a signi0ficant transformation in the context

of the 21st century, primarily due to the emergence of new technologies and web

tools. According to Belshaw (2012), literacy can be defined as the mastery of simple

and practical skills that go beyond basic reading and writing, leading to a profound

enrichment and transformation of human thinking capabilities. This definition

underscores the idea that literacy is not just about decoding text but also about

developing the cognitive skills and competencies necessary to navigate the complex

information landscape of the modern world.

As described by Kastis and Carneiro (2019), a pivotal component of new

literacies is digital literacy. In this era, characterized by rapid technological

innovations, digital literacy has emerged as one of the central competencies. Tabusum

(2014) characterized digital literacy as the capacity to effectively discover, arrange,

comprehend, assess, and dissect information through the use of digital technology.

They emphasize that it transcends mere computer literacy, encompassing the skill of

conveying information via digital platforms.

Digital literacy plays a big role in the field of education especially to the future

teachers whom we call the preservice teachers. Watt & Richardson (2016) defined

preservice teachers as those who undergo a period of student teaching, during which

they work under the supervision of experienced, licensed teachers to gain hands-on

classroom experience. This student teaching phase is a critical component of their

teacher preparation and allows them to apply what they have learned in their

coursework to real classroom situations. The specific requirements and certification

 2

processes for preservice teachers can vary by country and state or region within a

country.

Digital literacy is vital for preservice teachers for several key reasons. Firstly,

it equips them with the skills to effectively use digital tools, enhancing their ability to

create engaging and diverse lessons. Secondly, in the digital age, students require

proficiency in technology, and digitally literate preservice teachers can better prepare

them for the modern world. Additionally, digital literacy provides access to a wealth

of online educational resources, facilitating enriched teaching methods. Furthermore,

it enables efficient communication with students, parents, and colleagues, fostering

connectedness in the educational community (Placier, 2018).

Moreover, (Levin, 2014) stressed that digital literacy allows for personalized

learning and promotes information literacy, encouraging critical thinking in students.

Overall, digital literacy empowers preservice teachers to excel in a technology-driven

classroom, meeting diverse student needs and fostering 21st-century skills.

Therefore, the researchers are deeply motivated and enthusiastic to gain a

comprehensive understanding of the digital literacy proficiency levels exhibited by

Bachelor in Elementary Education (BEED) preservice teachers currently enrolled at

Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT) Miag-ao Campus, as this

knowledge is seen as pivotal in shaping the future direction of educational programs

and initiatives tailored to meet the specific needs of these aspiring educators in the

ever-evolving landscape of digital learning and pedagogy.

 3

Theoretical Framework

In 2004, Eshet-Alkalai published a 5-skill holistic conceptual model for digital

literacy (Eshet-Alkalai, 2004), arguing that it covers most of the cognitive skills that

users and scholars employ in digital environments, and therefore provides scholars,

researchers and designers with a powerful framework and design guidelines. Today,

this model is considered one of the most complete and coherent models for digital

literacy (Akers, 2005), and it was also included among the pivotal models for digital

learning in the Encyclopedia of Distance Learning (Eshet-Alkalai, 2005). Eshet-

Alkalai (2004; 2005), and briefly reports on trends found by Eshet-Alkalai & Amichai

- Hamburger (2004) in their empirical study of the performance of users from

different age groups of tasks that require the utilization of the five types of digital

literacy.

The five cognitive digital literacy skills that comprise the model are: Photo-

Visual Literacy - Learning to Read from Visuals, This unique form of digital literacy

– photo-visual literacy – helps users to intuitively and freely "read" and understand

instructions and messages that are displayed in a visual-graphical form. Reproduction

Literacy: The Art of Creative Duplication, Digital reproduction literacy is defined as

the ability to create new meanings or new interpretations by combining pre-existing,

independent shreds of information in any form of media – text, graphic, or sound

(Gilster, 1997). Labbo et al. (1998) describe problems that learners face in digital

reproduction of text in a variety of work situations, and contend that digitally

reproduction-literate scholars have good synthetical and multidimensional thinking

that helps them discover new combinations for arranging information in new,

meaningful ways. Branching literacy: Hypermedia and thinking or multiple-domain

thinking, Spiro et al. (1991) and Rouet and Levonen's (1996) cognitive flexibility
 4

theory describes the importance of branching, multi-dimensional thinking skills in

constructing meaningful understanding of complex phenomena. Information Literacy:

The Art of Always Questioning Information, According to Eshet-Alkalai (2004;

2005), the ability of information consumers to make educated, smart, information

assessments requires a special kind of literacy skill, which he calls information

literacy. It is true that information literacy is not unique to the digital era; it has

always been a crucial trait of successful scholars, even before the information

revolution. However, in the digital era, with the unlimited exposure of humans to

digital information, it has become a survival skill that enables learners to make

informed use of information. Socio-Emotional Literacy, . According to Eshet-Alkalai

(2004; 2005), these skills include the ability not only to share formal knowledge, but

also to share emotions by means of digital communication, to identify pretentious

people in chat rooms, and to avoid Internet traps, such as hoaxes and malicious

Internet viruses. Users must acquire a relatively new kind of digital literacy, which he

calls socio-emotional literacy, since it primarily involves emotional and social aspects

of working in cyberspace. Among all the types of digital literacy described here,

Eshet-Alkalai (2004; 2005) describes socio-emotional literacy as the highest-level and

most complex one. Eshet-Alkalai (2004; 2005) describes socio-emotionally literate

users as being willing to share their own data and knowledge with others, and

possessing the capabilities for evaluating data, abstract thinking, and designing

knowledge in collaboration with others.

 5

Conceptual Framework

Research Paradigm

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Sex

Year Level

Location of Digital
permanent residency
Literacy
Social Class

Duration of digital
devices usage

Figure 1. Paradigm of the Study. An interplay of the independent and dependent variables used in the study

Statement of the Problem

This study was conducted to assess the digital literacy of Elementary

Preservice Teachers.

Specifically, this study aimed to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of the elementary preservice teachers’ digital literacy when

taken as a whole and when grouped according to sex, year level, social class,

location of permanent residency and duration of digital devices usage?

2. What is the level of the elementary preservice teachers’ digital literacy in terms

of photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information, and socio-emotional

literacies when taken as a whole and when grouped according to sex, year

level, social class, location of permanent residency and duration of digital

devices usage?
 6

3. Is there a significant difference on the elementary preservice teachers’ digital

literacy when grouped according to sex, year level, social class, location of

permanent residency and duration of digital devices usage?

Definition of Terms

Digital Literacy. It refers to the ability to employ a wide variety of cognitive

and emotional skills in using digital technologies. ( Eshet-Alkalai and Chajut, 2009)

In this study, it referred to the digital literacy of the students as reflected in

their responses in the questionnaire which assesses the five cognitive digital literacy

skills which are photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information, and socio-

emotional literacies.

Location of Permanent Residency. It refers to the place of residence, within a

period for at least one year, in the territory of any country of a natural person who has

no permanent place of residence in other countries, and who intends to reside within

the territory of this country for an indefinite period of time, without limiting such

residence by a certain objective, provided that such residence is not a consequence of

performance by such person of official duties or obligations under an agreement (Law

Insider, 2023).

In this study, it referred to the place where the student permanently stays. It

can be within the poblacion or outside the poblacion.

Preservice Teachers. It refers to the students enrolled in a teacher preparation

program who must successfully complete degree requirements including course work

and field experience before being awarded a teaching license (Blankenship, 2020).

In this study, it referred to the BEED students enrolled during the First

Semester A.Y. 2023-2024 in Iloilo Science and Technology Miag-ao Campus.

 7

Sex. It refers on either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in

many species and that are distinguished respectively as female or male especially on

the basis of their reproductive organs and structures (Merriam Webster, 2023).

In this study, it referred to the student’s sex, whether male or female.

Social class. It refers to the group of people with similar socioeconomic class

or status in the Philippines—meaning, their standing within society based on their

level of income, education, and occupation (Zoleta, 2023).

In this study, it referred to the student’s social standing or class. It can be low-

income, middle-income and high-income classes. If the monthly income of the family

is below Php 24,000 then they belong in the low-income class. If the monthly income

of the family is between around Php 24,000 to Php 145,000 then they belong in the

middle-income class. While, if the monthly income of the family is above Php

145,000 then they belong in a high-income class. Furthermore, this study only

determines the annual salary of their family income.

Year Level. It referred to track a student's progress toward the degree. It is

categorized by year or class according to the number of terms/semesters they have

completed;

First-Year Student: in first or second semester

Second-Year Student: in third or fourth semester

Third-Year Student: in fifth or sixth semester

Fourth-Year Student: in seventh or eight semester

Hypothesis

H 0 : There is no significant difference on the elementary preservice teachers’

Ngaa diri sya nabutang ang hypothesis?? Wala sa SOP?
digital literacy when grouped according to sex, year level, social class, location of

permanent residency and duration of digital devices usage.

 8

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study are beneficial to the following:

BEED students. The findings of the study may be beneficial to the BEED

students for them to become more literate and knowledgeable in digital literacy for

their classroom management, daily life and academic performance.

Parents. The findings of the study may help the parents to be aware of their

child’s digital literacy and thus they can work hand in reaping the benefits of being

digital literate.

Teacher. The findings of the study may give ideas to teachers to understand

that digital literacy of their students which may help him/her design his/her

instructional strategies that fit his/her students.

DepEd. The findings of the study may enable school officials to look on how

digital literate their graduates are. This may help them create a curriculum that

promotes digital literacy in basic education.

CHED. The findings of the study may provide them with substantial

information to monitor the students’ digital literacy in making learning strategies that

could enhance the learning skill of the students. This study may also provide valuable

insights that could help them plan better ways for the improvement of the learning

skill using digital literacy of the students so that they may become knowledgeable and

highly competitive in the future.

Other Researchers in the Related Fields. The findings of the study may

encourage the researchers to make this study more reliable and discover more about

the digital literacy. It may provide information so that in the end they can conduct

similar studies that may be applied in other educational institutions. Likewise, the

results of this study may also be validated by them in similar studies

 9

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This is a quantitative-descriptive study that basically focuses on the BEED

student’s digital literacy. This study was conducted during the A.Y. 2023-2024

in Iloilo Science and Technology Miag-ao Campus located at Igtuba, Miag-ao, Iloilo.

The respondents of this study were the BEED students of Iloilo Science and

Technology Miag-ao Campus selected using stratified random sampling. The

respondents were categorized into several variables. The proponents gathered the data

by giving a questionnaire using the 5-point Likert Scale to the respondents. Mean,

standard deviation, frequency count and percentage were used for the descriptive

statistics. Mann Whitney U Tests to test paired categories of significantly different

variables like sex, social class, and location of permanent residency. Kruskal- Wallis

H Test was used to test significant difference of variables like year level and duration

of digital devices usage.

 10

Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

This chapter presents the literature to support the background of the study for

a greater understanding of the research outcome.

Digital Literacy in Students

In recent years, society has undergone enormous changes with the

digitalization of many of its spheres at the information level, the communication level,

the level of knowledge acquisition, the level of the establishment of social relations,

and even the level of leisure. Thus, our habits and means of accessing, managing, and

transforming information have also changed (Allen et al., 2020; López-Meneses et

al., 2020).

These developments have also had a great impact on the educational field, in

which we have to rethink firstly what kind of students we are training in terms of the

skills they need in today's society, and secondly, whether we are training a profile of

future teachers capable of training a student body that uses information and

communication technologies as something inherent to their own personal and social

development. In short, digital communication has changed practices related to literacy

and has gained great relevance in the development of knowledge in the twenty-first

century (Pérez and Nagata, 2019; Fernández-de-la-Iglesia et al., 2020).

The European Commission (2013) indicates that initial teacher training (IDT)

should integrate teachers' digital literacy, betting on the pedagogical use of digital

tools, enabling them to use them in an effective, appropriate, and contextualized

manner. This teaching competence should be characterized by having a holistic,

contextualized, performance-, function-, and development-oriented character. In short,

 11

it is about incorporating and adequately using ICT as a didactic resource (Chow and

Wong, 2020; Vodá et al., 2022).

In this sense, according to the work of Krumsvik (2009), the CDD

(competencia digital docente de los profesores–digital competency training for

teachers) is composed of four components: basic digital skills (Bawden, 2008),

didactic competence with ICT (Koehler and Mishra, 2008; Gisbert and Esteve, 2011),

learning strategies, and digital training or training.

While at the Spanish level, the Common Framework of Digital Teaching

Competence of the National Institute of Educational Technologies and Teacher

Training (INTEF, 2017) standardizes it in five areas: information and information

literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, security, and

problem solving (López-Meneses et al., 2020). Recently, they have been consolidated

as competencies that must be acquired by any university student, along with the

knowledge, skills, and attitude that make up a digitally competent citizen (Indah et

al., 2022).

Digital Literacy in Future Teachers

Several efforts have been made to equip future teachers with these

competencies through different standards and frameworks to the level of learning

acquired (INTEF, 2017; UNESCO, 2018). However, how to work these competencies

in initial training is still a hotly debated topic, in which special attention is paid to the

promotion of experiences of a pedagogical and innovative nature to transform

teaching practices, involving the integration of technologies in the classroom, as

stated in the Horizon Report 2019 for the Higher Education (Le et al., 2022).

Universities are in a moment of transformation, from a teacher-focused teaching

model to a model based on active learning through the use of digital technologies,
 12

giving rise to a new type of education in which the use of digital devices is intrinsic

(Aarsand, 2019). If digital resources and devices are an inescapable part of current

and future teaching practice, digital competency training for future teachers becomes

extremely relevant, given that teachers need to acquire these competencies in their

initial training to integrate them into their practices as future teachers. That is, the

digital competence (DC) acquired during their initial training significantly predicts the

integration of technologies in future teaching practice (Nikou and Aavakare, 2021),

which could range from basic digital literacy to the integration of technologies in their

daily teaching practice (Alanoglu et al., 2022). Several studies have defined the

different indicators that make up DC (Rodríguez-García et al., 2019; Cabero-

Almenara and Palacios-Rodríguez, 2020). This calls for a new paradigm, in which

future teachers must be digitally literate, in terms of the application of active

methodologies, digital competencies, and the use of innovative strategies, styles, and

approaches (Gómez-García et al., 2021). Currently, literacy workshops for future

professionals are being carried out in a timely and precise manner from customized

short training capsules to specific semester-long subjects in undergraduate or

postgraduate studies. The training is focused on several specific aspects of digital

literacy, but there is a lack of experience in imparting comprehensive digital training.

In addition, there are just a few interactions with professional experts in such literacy

(Tomczyk et al., 2020; Vinokurova et al., 2021).

The educational system was tasked with preparing them for their full

development and participation in society (OECD, 2011). For this reason, digital

literacy is understood as an essential requirement for development in the society in

which we live, based on the promotion of strategies related to searching, obtaining,

processing, and communicating information. All these aspects have been consolidated
 13

as the dimensions of literacy in the twenty-first century (Martín and Tyner, 2012). It

is, therefore, necessary to understand the reality of this subject and to investigate how

these practices are being developed in the context of work. And secondly, it is equally

necessary to implement new interventions and lines of research that respond to this

urgent need for literacy required by today's society.

Review of Related Studies

The extant literature on digital literacy, skills and competencies is rich in

definitions and classifications, but there is still no consensus on the larger themes and

subsumed themes categories. (Heitin, 2016). To exemplify, existing inventories of

Internet skills suffer from ‘incompleteness and over-simplification, conceptual

ambiguity’ (van Deursen et al., 2015), and Internet skills are only a part of digital

skills. While there is already a plethora of research in this field, this research paper

hereby aims to provide a general framework of digital areas and themes that can best

describe digital (cap)abilities in the novel context of Industry 4.0 and the accelerated

pandemic-triggered digitalist. The areas and themes can represent the starting point

for drafting a contemporary digital literacy framework.

Sousa and Rocha (2019) explained that there is a stake of digital skills for

disruptive digital business, and they connect it to the latest developments, such as the

Internet of Things (IoT), cloud technology, big data, artificial intelligence, and

robotics. The topic is even more important given the large disparities in digital

literacy across regions (Tinmaz et al., 2022). More precisely, digital inequalities

encompass skills, along with access, usage and self-perceptions. These inequalities

need to be addressed, as they are credited with a ‘potential to shape life chances in

multiple ways’ (Robinson et al., 2015), e.g., academic performance, labour market

competitiveness, health, civic and political participation. Steps have been successfully
 14

taken to address physical access gaps, but skills gaps are still looming (Van Deursen

& Van Dijk, 2010a). Moreover, digital inequalities have grown larger due to the

COVID-19 pandemic, and they influenced the very state of health of the most

vulnerable categories of population or their employability in a time when digital skills

are required (Baber et al., 2022;).

This study aims to investigate digital literacy perceptions of preservice

teachers, and to identify quantity characteristics of first- and second-year preservice

teachers’ digital literacy at a public university in Turkey. That is, pre-service teachers’

perceptions of digital literacy and their patterns of knowledge and use of digital

literacy were measured within the scope of this study. Multiple sources of data,

including a Likert scale and open-ended questions were collected to address the topic.

Various statistical techniques and tests such as ANOVA, t-test, and Tukey HSD test

were used in the analysis of the obtained data. Qualitative data was analyzed by using

the content analysis method. The findings indicated that the model showed a good fit

with the data and standardized regression weights indicated that attitude, technical,

cognitive, and social factors were significant predictors of digital literacy. In addition,

it was identified that the pre-service teachers had high and positive perceptions of

digital literacy. However, it was observed in the open-ended questions that they lack

the refined cognitive skills to find, evaluate, create, and communicate. The findings

were then discussed in light of the relevant literature.

Synthesis

The development of pre-service teachers’ digital teaching competence is

crucial for effectively infusing technology into teaching. With the growing

importance of data in education, it is imperative to explore the influencing factors of

digital teaching competence and the potential role of data literacy in facilitating
 15

competence. Thus, this study focused on investigating the factors influencing pre-

service teachers’ digital teaching competence, namely technology attitudes,

technology operations, technology ethics, and data literacy. Additionally, it examined

the potential effect of data literacy on digital teaching competence.

The successful incorporation of information technology into teaching has been

a prevalent topic in the field of teacher education for many years. As pre-service

teachers occupy a dual role as students and future teachers, they require digital

competence and teaching competence to facilitate active integration into the digital

society (Instefjord and Munthe, 2017). Lim (2023) emphasized that pre-service

teacher education was a crucial factor in developing the competence of future

teachers. As a vital resource for the development of future teachers, the digital

teaching proficiency of pre-service teachers plays a vital role in determining the

quality of future education (Yan et al., 2018). Despite having a favorable impression

of digital competence, pre-service teachers may not have acquired sufficient

proficiency to enhance the teaching process (Tárraga-Mínguez et al., 2021).

INTEF (2017) defined digital teaching competence as “a set of competencies

that teachers in the 21st century must acquire to improve the efficiency of educational

practice and ensure continuous professional development”. Enhancing teachers’

digital teaching competence contributed to the digital transformation of schools

(Hämäläinen et al., 2021), the development of students’ digital competence (Llopis et

al., 2021), and ongoing professional skill development for teachers (Cazco et al.,

2016). However, studies have found that despite their digital competence, pre-service

teachers may still lack the ability to implement digital tools effectively in the teaching

process.
 16

CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study aims to find out the digital literacy of preservice elementary

teachers. In this study, quantitative descriptive research design was used.

According to Creswell, quantitative descriptive research design is to gather

information about present existing condition explained the purpose of descriptive

method is to find a detailed explanation and description about the object of the

research systematically.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of this study were 160 of 271 Iloilo Science and Technology

University Miag-ao Campus who are officially enrolled during the First Semester of

Academic Year 2023-2024. This was calculated using the Slovin’s formula with a

margin of error of 0.05. The respondents were taken from selected students of BEED.

Stratified random sampling technique was used having year level as the strata in

finding the respondents of this study. Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents of

the study.
 17

Table 1.
Respondents of the Study
Respondents Frequency Percent

Sex
Male 13 8.1
Female 147 91.9

Year Level
First Year 42 26.3
Second Year 41 25.6
Third Year 39 24.4
Fourth Year 38 23.7

Social Class
Low- income 155 96.9
Middle-income 5 3.1

Location of Permanent Address

Within Poblacion 54 33.8
Outside Poblacion 106 66.2

Duration of digital Devices Usage

0-3 hours 30 18.7
3-6 hours 86 53.8
More than 6 hours 44 27.5

The respondents of the study are mostly female (91.9%), first year (26.3%),

low-income (96.9%), residing permanently outside the poblacion (66.2%) and usually

using their digital devices at an average of 3 to 6 hours daily (53.8%).

Research Instrument
 18

The study used questionnaire (paper-pencil test) in gathering data. This is

composed of two parts. Part one, focuses on personal information in order to gather

profile of the respondents. This will elicit information as to students’ name, sex, social

class and place of permanent residency, duration of digital devices usage, digital

device used, and internet connection and Part two of the questionnaire is consist of 25

item questionnaires categorized into five parts: 1-5 (Photo Visual Literacy), 6-10

(Reproduction Literacy), 11-15 (Branching Literacy), 16-20 (Information Literacy),

and 21-25 (Socio-Emotional Literacy).

Data Gathering Procedure

The researchers were first draft a questionnaire. It was submitted to the

research adviser for critiquing. As soon as the research adviser approved the research

questionnaire, and with proper tests for validity and reliability the researchers

administered the instrument to generate needed data for this study. The survey

instruments were personally delivered by the researchers to selected BEED students

on their assigned classroom. The researchers oriented the respondents on how to

answer the questionnaire and requested them to answer the questionnaire truthfully.

The researchers assured the respondents that utmost care on their data will be done

and their privacy will be observed.

Data Processing Technique

The data gathered from this study was analyzed using mean, standard

deviation, frequency count, percentage. Mann Whitney U Tests to test paired

categories of significantly different variables like sex, social class, and location of

permanent residency. Kruskal- Wallis H Test was used to test significant difference

of variables like year level and duration of digital devices usage.

 19

The level of significance will be set to 0.05 alpha.

Mean. The mean used to determine the level of the digital literacy of the

respondents.

Standard Deviation. The standard deviation was used in measuring how

dispersed the data in relation to the mean.

Frequency count. The frequency count was used to determine the number of

respondents per category of the variable.

Percentage. The frequency count was used to determine the percentage of

respondents per category of the variable.

Mann Whitney U Tests to test paired categories of significantly different

variables like sex, social class, and location of permanent residency.

Kruskal- Wallis H Test was used to test significant difference of variables like

year level and duration of digital devices usage.

Upon the completion of the participants the researchers gathered the filled-up

instrument and review the completeness and consistency of the data. This was

followed by coding of the participants responses by converting them to numerical

codes for descriptive data analysis the researcher used the mean, standard deviation,

frequency count, percentage, Mann Whitney U Tests to test paired categories of

significantly different variables like sex, social class, and location of permanent

residency. Kruskal- Wallis H Test was used to test significant difference of variables

like year level and duration of digital devices usage.

 20

The means were analyzed using the matrix below.

Range of the Means Interpretation Description

Greater than 4.49 Very High Exhibits a superior literacy

3.50 to 4.49 High Exhibits an above average literacy

2.50 to 3.9 Average Exhibits an average literacy

1.50 to 2.49 Low Exhibits a below average literacy

Less than 1.50 Very Low Exhibits an extremely low literacy

 21

CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This chapter presents the findings and discussions and corresponding

implications of the study. The data are also presented and interpreted in this chapter.

Profile of the Respondents

Table 2.
Profile of the Respondents according to Year Level vis-a-vis Sex, Social Class,
Location of Permanent Residency and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Year Level
First Year Second Third Fourth
Variables Categories Total Percentage
Year Year Year
f % f % f % f %
Sex Male 4 9.5 4 9.8 3 7.7 2 5.3 13 8.1
Female 38 90.5 37 90.2 36 92.3 36 94.7 147 91.9

Social Class Low-income 41 97.6 40 97.6 37 94.9 37 97.4 155 96.9

Middle-income 1 2.4 1 2.4 2 5.1 1 2.6 5 3.1

Location of Within Poblacion 16 38.1 9 22.0 13 33.3 16 42.1 54 33.8

Permanent Outside Poblacion 26 61.9 32 78.0 26 66.7 22 57.9 106 66.2
Residency

Duration of 0-3 hours 11 26.2 6 14.6 6 15.4 7 18.4 30 18.7

Digital More than 3 hours 25 59.5 21 51.2 21 53.8 19 50.0 86 53.8
Device to 6 hours
Usage More than 6 hours 6 14.3 14 34.2 12 30.8 12 31.6 44 27.5

As illustrated in Table 2 above, it is evident that majority of the respondents

across all year levels are female, coming from a low-income social class, who are

permanently residing outside the poblacion and usually using their digital devices at

an average of 3 to 6 hours daily. Also, the highest percentages of female are from the

fourth year (94.7%), low-income respondents are from first and second years (97.6%),

permanently residing outside the poblacion are from second year (78.0%) and usually

using their digital devices at an average of 3 to 6 hours daily are from first year

(59.5%).
 22

Table 3.
Profile of the Respondents according to Sex vis-à-vis Social Class, Location of
Permanent Residency and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Sex
Variables Categories Male Female Total Percentage
F % F %
Social Class Low-income 12 92.3 143 97.3 155 96.9
Middle-income 1 7.7 4 2.7 5 3.1

Location of Within Poblacion 4 30.8 50 34.0 54 33.8

Permanent Outside 9 69.2 97 66.0 106 66.2
Residency Poblacion

Duration of 0-3 hours 1 7.7 29 19.7 30 18.7

Digital More than 3 7 53.8 79 53.7 86 53.8
Device hours to 6 hours
Usage More than 6 5 38.5 39 26.6 44
hours 27.5

Table 3 shows that majority of the respondents across all sexes are coming

from a low-income social class, who are permanently residing outside the poblacion

and usually using their digital devices at an average of 3 to 6 hours daily. Also, the

highest percentages of low-income respondents are females (97.3%), permanently

residing outside the poblacion are males (69.2%) and usually using their digital

devices at an average of 3 to 6 hours daily are males (53.8%).

 23

Table 4.
Profile of the Respondents according to Social Class vis-à-vis Location of Permanent
Residency and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Social Class
Variables Categories Low-income Middle-income Total Percentage
F % F %
Location of Within Poblacion 51 32.9 3 60.0 54 33.8
Permanent Outside 104 67.1 2 40.0 106 66.2
Residency Poblacion

Duration of 0-3 hours 28 18.1 2 40.0 30 18.7

Digital More than 3 84 54.2 2 40.0 86 53.8
Device hours to 6 hours
Usage More than 6 43 27.7 1 20.0 44
hours 27.5

Table 4 displays that majority of the respondents across all social classes are

permanently residing outside the poblacion and usually using their digital devices at

an average of 3 to 6 hours daily. Also, the highest percentages of respondents

permanently residing outside the poblacion are from the low-income social class

(67.1%) and usually using their digital devices at an average of 3 to 6 hours daily are

from the low-income social class (54.2%).

 24

Table 5.
Profile of the Respondents according to Location of Permanent Residency vis-à-vis
Duration of Digital Device Usage

Location of Permanent Residency

Variables Categories Within Poblacion Outside Poblacion Total Percentage
F % f %
Duration 0-3 hours 8 14.8 22 20.8 30 18.7
of Digital More than 3 36 66.7 50 47.2 86 53.8
Device hours to 6
Usage hours
More than 6 10 18.5 34 32.0 44
hours 27.5

Table 5 exhibits that majority of the respondents across all locations of

permanent residency are using their digital devices at an average of 3 to 6 hours daily.

Also, the highest percentage of respondents usually using their digital devices at an

average of 3 to 6 hours daily are permanently residing within the poblacion (66.7%).

Table 6.
Frequently Used Digital Devices by the Respondents

Digital Device F % Rank Digital Device F % Rank

Smartphone 151 94.4 1st Tablet 10 6.3 7th
Laptop 65 40.6 2nd Desktop Computer 7 4.4 8.5th
Smart Television 40 25.0 3rd Smart Appliances 7 4.4 8.5th
Printer/ Scanner 23 14.4 4th Virtual Reality Headset 2 1.3 10th
Smart Watch 11 6.9 5.5th Video Game Console 0 0.0 11.5th
Digital Camera 11 6.9 5.5th Smart Car 0 0.0 11.5th

The 160 respondents were asked the digital devices that they frequently used

and Table 6 reveals the result. Smartphone emerged as the most frequently used

digital device with 151 students (94.4%) using it frequently. It is also noteworthy that

none of the respondents chose video game console and smart car. Thus, the

conclusion is that most of the respondents frequently explore the digital world using
 25

smartphones because nowadays smartphone is a necessity and it is the cheapest device

that can be used for entertainment, communication, and other important purposes.

Table 7.
Type of Internet Connection

Type of Internet Connection F %

Broadband Connectivity 24 15
(DSL,ADSL, Cable Modems)
Wireless Connectivity 136 85
(Mobile Data)

The table shows that most of the respondents frequently connect through the

internet via wireless connectivity or mobile data (85%). This can be related to the

social class of the respondents where majority of them are from the low-income class

and in the Philippines wireless connectivity is cheaper compared to broadband

connectivity.

Level of Digital Literacy including its Constructs

Table 8.
Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy and its Constructs

Literacies M(SD) Interpretation

DIGITAL 4.11 (0.42) High

Photo-visual 4.14 (0.49) High

Reproduction 4.09 (0.47) High
Branching 3.99 (0.50) High
Information 4.21 (0.53) High
Socio-emotional 4.12 (0.53) High

Table 8 shows that the level of digital literacy of the BEEd pre-service

teachers’ is high. The overall mean is 4.11 and standard deviation of 0.42. Likewise,

its constructs which includes photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information and

socio-emotional literacies are all high. This reveals that the BEEd pre-service
 26

teachers’ perceived that they have an above average digital literacy as well as they

possessed an above average photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information and

socio-emotional literacies.

Table 9.
Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy and its Constructs vis-à-vis Year Level
Year Level
First Year Second Year Third Year Fourth Year
Literacies
M(SD Interpretatio M(SD Interpretatio M(SD Interpretatio M(SD Interpretatio
) n ) n ) n ) n
4.02 4.22 4.01 4.18
DIGITAL High High High High
(0.41) (0.47) (0.39) (0.35)

3.90 4.29 4.14 4.26

Photo-visual High High High High
(0.42) (0.51) (0.47) (0.48)

Reproductio 4.04 4.14 4.05 4.15

High High High High
n (0.49) (0.52) (0.42) (0.43)

3.91 4.17 3.83 4.03

Branching High High High High
(0.50) (0.54) (0.40) (0.50)

4.24 4.30 4.02 4.25

Information High High High High
(0.53) (0.55) (0.57) (0.45)

Socio- 4.03 4.22 4.01 4.22

High High High High
emotional (0.50) (0.58) (0.56) (0.44)

Table 9 shows that the interpretations of the level of digital literacy of the

BEEd preservice teachers’ across all year levels are all high where the second year

respondents registered the highest mean (4.22). This reveals that the respondents

exhibit an above average digital literacy despite their year levels.

Also, all the five constructs of digital literacy have all high interpretations

across all year levels which tell that the respondents possessed an above average

photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information and socio-emotional literacies

despite their year levels.

It is noteworthy that in photo-visual the second year got the highest mean with

4.29, in reproduction the fourth year with 4.26, in branching the second year with
 27

4.17, in information the second year with 4.30 and with socio-emotional the second

year and fourth year with the mean of 4.22.

Table 10.
Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy and its Constructs vis-à-vis Sex

Sex
Literacies Male Female
M(SD) Interpretation M(SD) Interpretation

Digital 4.12 (0.53) High 4.11 (0.41) High

Photo-visual 4.06 (0.53) High 4.15 (0.49) High

Reproduction 4.11 (0.57) High 4.09 (0.46) High

Branching 3.98 (0.61) High 3.99 (0.49) High

Information 4.25 (0.53) High 4.20 (0.53) High

Socio-emotional 4.20 (0.61) High 4.11 (0.53) High

Table 10 shows that the interpretations of the level of digital literacy of the

BEEd pre-service teachers’ across all sexes are all high where the male respondents

recorded the higher mean (4.12). This reveals that the respondents exhibit an above

average digital literacy despite their sexes.

Also, all the five constructs of digital literacy have all high interpretations

across all sexes which tell that the respondents possessed an above average photo-

visual, reproduction, branching, information and socio-emotional literacies despite

their sexes.

It is notable that males got higher means compared than females in

reproduction (4.11), information (4.25), and socio-emotional (4.20) literacies. While

females have higher means compared than males in photo-visual (4.15) and branching

(3.99) literacies.
 28

Table 11.
Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy and its Constructs vis-à-vis Social Class

Social Class
Literacies Low-income Middle-income
M(SD) Interpretation M(SD) Interpretation

DIGITAL 4.11 (0.41) High 4.02 (0.72) High

Photo-visual 4.14 (0.49) High 4.36 (0.62) High

Reproduction 4.09 (0.46) High 4.16 (0.70) High

Branching 3.99 (0.49) High 3.96 (0.79) High

Information 4.22 (0.52) High 3.84 (0.80) High

Socio-emotional 4.13 (0.52) High 3.80 (0.81) High

Table 11 shows that the interpretations of the level of digital literacy of the

BEEd pre-service teachers’ across all social classes are all high where the low-income

respondents recorded the higher mean (4.11). This reveals that the respondents exhibit

an above average digital literacy despite their social classes.

Also, all the five constructs of digital literacy have all high interpretations

across all social classes which tell that the respondents possessed an above average

photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information and socio-emotional literacies

despite their social classes.

It is remarkable that low-income respondents got higher means in branching

(3.99), information (4.22), and socio-emotional (4.13) literacies while middle-income

respondents got higher means in photo-visual (4.15), and reproduction (4.16)

literacies.

Table 12.
 29

Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy and its Constructs vis-à-vis Location of

permanent residency

Location of Permanent Residency

Literacies Within Poblacion Outside Poblacion
M(SD) Interpretation M(SD) Interpretation

DIGITAL 4.02 (0.36) High 4.16 (0.44) High

Photo-visual 4.13 (0.54) High 4.15 (0.47) High

Reproduction 3.99 (0.41) High 4.15 (0.49) High

Branching 3.87 (0.42) High 4.05 (0.53) High

Information 4.05 (0.49) High 4.28 (0.54) High

Socio-emotional 4.06 (0.47) High 4.15 (0.56) High

Table 12 shows that the interpretations of the level of digital literacy of the

BEEd pre-service teachers’ across all locations of permanent residency are all high

where those residing outside the poblacion recorded the higher mean (4.16). This

reveals that the respondents exhibit an above average digital literacy despite their

locations of permanent residency.

Also, all the five constructs of digital literacy have all high interpretations

across all locations of permanent residency which tell that the respondents possessed

an above average photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information and socio-

emotional literacies despite their locations of permanent residency.

It is extraordinary that those permanently residing outside the poblacion got

higher means in all the five constructs – photo-visual (4.15), reproduction (4.15),

branching (4.05), information (4.28), and socio-emotional (4.15) literacies.

Table 13.
 30

Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy and its Constructs vis-à-vis Duration of

Digital Device Usage

Duration of Digital Device Usage

More than 3 Hrs. up to 6
0 to 3 Hours More than 6 Hours
Literacies Hrs.
Interpretatio
M(SD) Interpretation M(SD) M(SD) Interpretation
n
4.11 4.06 4.20
DIGITAL High High High
(0.42) (0.41) (0.43)

4.19 4.09 4.21

Photo-visual High High High
(0.48) (0.48) (0.52)

4.09 4.07 4.15

Reproduction High High High
(0.51) (0.46) (0.46)

3.98 3.92 4.11

Branching High High High
(0.50) (0.49) (0.51)

4.23 4.14 4.32

Information High High High
(0.56) (0.53) (0.51)

Socio- 4.09 4.09 4.20

High High High
emotional (0.49) (0.56) (0.50)

Table 13 shows that the interpretations of the level of digital literacy of the

BEEd pre-service teachers’ across all durations of digital device usage are all high

where those using more than 6 hours daily recorded the highest mean (4.20). This

reveals that the respondents exhibit an above average digital literacy despite their

durations of digital device usage.

Also, all the five constructs of digital literacy have all high interpretations

across all durations of digital device usage which tell that the respondents possessed

an above average photo-visual, reproduction, branching, information and socio-

emotional literacies despite their durations of digital device usage.

It is surprising that those using their digital devices for more than 6 hours

daily got highest means in all the five constructs – photo-visual (4.21), reproduction

(4.15), branching (4.11), information (4.32), and socio-emotional (4.20) literacies.

Differences in Digital Literacy

 31

Table 14.
Differences in Pre-service Teachers’ Digital Literacy in terms of Sex, Social Class
and Location of Permanent Residency

Variable Mean Rank Sum of Ranks MWU value p

Sex
Male 83.85 1090.00
912.00 0.79
Female 80.20 11790.00

Social Class
Low-income 80.90 12539.00
326.00 0.55
Middle-income 68.20 341.00

Location of Permanent
Residency
Within Poblacion 70.47 3805.50
2320.50 0.05
Outside Poblacion 85.61 9074.50

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Mann-Whitney U Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the digital literacy of male and female respondents. Also, the table

shows that there is no significant difference on the digital literacy of respondents

on the low-income class and middle-income class. Moreover, it is worth noting

that the p-value is 0.05 even though there is no significant difference in the digital

literacy of respondents residing within the poblacion and outside the poblacion.

This is equal to our significance level, which is 0.05, so it is somewhat possible

that a significant difference may occur in some cases.

 32

Table 15. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Digital Literacy in terms of Year Level
and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Variable Mean Rank χ

2
df p
Year Level
First Year 73.21

Second Year 89.55

6.20 3 0.10
Third Year 69.82

Fourth Year 89.75

Duration of Digital
Device Usage
0 to 3 Hours 82.60

More than 3 Hours.

74.97 3.10 2 0.21
up to 6 Hours.

More than 6 Hours 89.89

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the digital literacy of the respondents when they are grouped

according to their year level. Also, that there is no significant difference on the

digital literacy of the respondents when they are grouped according to their

duration of digital device usage.

 33

Table 16. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Photo-visual Literacy in terms of Sex,

Social Class and Location of Permanent Residency

Variable Mean Rank Sum of Ranks MWU value p

Sex
Male 75.15 977.00
886.00 0.66
Female 80.97 11903.00

Social Class
Low-income 79.94 12391.00
301.00 0.39
Middle-income 97.80 489.00

Location of Permanent
Residency
Within Poblacion 79.15 4274.00
2789.00 0.79
Outside Poblacion 81.19 8606.00

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Mann-Whitney U Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the photo-visual literacy of male and female respondents. Also, the table

shows that there is no significant difference on the photo-visual literacy of

respondents on the low-income class and middle-income class. Moreover, it is shown

that there is no significant difference in the photo-visual literacy of respondents

residing within the poblacion and outside the poblacion.

 34

Table 17. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Photo-visual Literacy in terms of Year

Level and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Variable Mean Rank χ

2
df p
Year Level
First Year 58.35a

Second Year 92.94b

14.79 3 0.00*
Third Year 80.97b

Fourth Year 91.08b

Duration of Digital
Device Usage
0 to 3 Hours 86.58

More than 3 Hours.

75.07 2.60 2 0.27
up to 6 Hours.

More than 6 Hours 86.97

Note: Means with the same subscript are not statistically different at α =0.05
according to the MWU-test procedure
*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, it was found out that there is a significant

difference on the photo-visual literacy of the respondents when they are grouped

according to their year level. Further testing with the Mann-Whitney U Test it was

revealed that the photo-visual literacy of the First Year students differ with the rest

of the year levels. The p-values of the First Year compared with the Second Year,

Third Year and FourthYear are 0.00, 0.02 and 0.00 respectively. Also, that there is

no significant difference on the photo-visual literacy of the respondents when they

are grouped according to their duration of digital device usage.

 35

Table 18. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Reproduction Literacy in terms of Sex,

Social Class and Location of Permanent Residency

Variable Mean Rank Sum of Ranks MWU value p

Sex
Male 83.58 1086.50
915.50 0.80
Female 80.23 11793.50

Social Class
Low-income 80.27 12442.00
352.00 0.73
Middle-income 87.60 438.00

Location of Permanent
Residency
Within Poblacion 70.77 3821.50
2336.50 0.06
Outside Poblacion 85.46 9058.50

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Mann-Whitney U Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the reproduction literacy of male and female respondents. Also, the

table shows that there is no significant difference on the reproduction literacy of

respondents on the low-income class and middle-income class. Moreover, it is worth

noting that the p-value is 0.06 even though there is no significant difference in the

reproduction literacy of respondents residing within the poblacion and outside the

poblacion. This is near our significance level, which is 0.05, so it is somewhat

possible that a significant difference may occur in some cases.

 36

Table 19. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Reproduction Literacy in terms of Year

Level and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Variable Mean Rank χ

2
df P
Year Level
First Year 76.40

Second Year 82.28

1.18 3 0.76
Third Year 77.38

Fourth Year 86.30

Duration of Digital
Device Usage
0 to 3 Hours 80.82

More than 3 Hours. 77.44

1.08 2 0.58
up to 6 Hours.

More than 6 Hours 86.27

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the reproduction literacy of the respondents when they are grouped

according to their year level. Also, that there is no significant difference on the

reproduction literacy of the respondents when they are grouped according to their

duration of digital device usage.

 37

Table 20. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Branching Literacy in terms of Sex,

Social Class and Location of Permanent Residency

Variable Mean Rank Sum of Ranks MWU value p

Sex
Male 81.08 1054.00
948.00 0.96
Female 80.45 11826.00

Social Class
Low-income 80.76 12517.50
347.50 0.69
Middle-income 72.50 362.50

Location of Permanent
Residency
Within Poblacion 69.12 3732.50
2247.50 0.03*
Outside Poblacion 86.30 9147.50

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Mann-Whitney U Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the branching literacy of male and female respondents. Also, the

table shows that there is no significant difference on the branching literacy of

respondents on the low-income class and middle-income class. Moreover, there is

a significant difference in the branching literacy of respondents residing within the

poblacion and outside the poblacion.

 38

Table 21. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Branching Literacy in terms of Year

Level and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Variable Mean Rank χ

2
df p
Year Level
First Year 75.12ab

Second Year 94.88b

9.41 3 0.02*
Third Year 65.41a

Fourth Year 86.42b

Duration of Digital
Device Usage
0 to 3 Hours 81.15

More than 3 Hours.

75.19 3.20 2 0.20
up to 6 Hours.

More than 6 Hours 90.43

Note: Means with the same subscript are not statistically different at α =0.05
according to the MWU-test procedure
*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, it was found out that there is a significant

difference on the branching literacy of the respondents when they are grouped

according to their year level. Further testing with the Mann-Whitney U Test it was

revealed that the branching literacy of the Third Year students differ with the

Second Year students (p =0.00) and with the Fourth Year students (p=0.04).Also,

that there is no significant difference on the branching literacy of the respondents

when they are grouped according to their duration of digital device usage.
 39

Table 22. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Information Literacy in terms of Sex,

Social Class and Location of Permanent Residency

Variable Mean Rank Sum of Ranks MWU value p

Sex
Male 86.46 1124.00
878.00 0.63
Female 79.97 11756.00

Social Class
Low-income 81.29 12600.50
264.50 0.22
Middle-income 55.90 279.50

Location of Permanent
Residency
Within Poblacion 66.11 3570.00
2085.00 0.01*
Outside Poblacion 87.83 9310.00

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Mann-Whitney U Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the information literacy of male and female respondents. Also, the

table shows that there is no significant difference on the information literacy of

respondents on the low-income class and middle-income class. Moreover, there is

a significant difference in the information literacy of respondents residing within

the poblacion and outside the poblacion.

 40

Table 23. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Information Literacy in terms of Year

Level and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Variable Mean Rank χ

2
df p
Year Level
First Year 83.17

Second Year 87.54

5.31 3 0.15
Third Year 66.04

Fourth Year 84.80

Duration of Digital
Device Usage
0 to 3 Hours 82.83

More than 3 Hours.

74.44 3.77 2 0.15
up to 6 Hours.

More than 6 Hours 90.75

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the information literacy of the respondents when they are grouped

according to their year level. Also, that there is no significant difference on the

information literacy of the respondents when they are grouped according to their

duration of digital device usage.

 41

Table 24. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Socio-emotional Literacy in terms of

Sex, Social Class and Location of Permanent Residency

Variable Mean Rank Sum of Ranks MWU value p

Sex
Male 86.85 1129.00
873.00 0.60
Female 79.94 11751.00

Social Class
Low-income 81.24 12591.50
273.50 0.26
Middle-income 57.70 288.50

Location of Permanent
Residency
Within Poblacion 73.55 3971.50
2486.50 0.17
Outside Poblacion 84.04 8908.50

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Mann-Whitney U Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the socio-emotional literacy of male and female respondents. Also,

the table shows that there is no significant difference on the socio-emotional

literacy of respondents on the low-income class and middle-income class.

Moreover, there is no significant difference in the socio-emotional literacy of

respondents residing within the poblacion and outside the poblacion.

 42

Table 25. Differences in Preservice Teachers’ Socio-emotional Literacy in terms of

Year Level and Duration of Digital Device Usage

Variable Mean Rank χ

2
df p
Year Level
First Year 71.33

Second Year 90.20

6.97 3 0.07
Third Year 70.73

Fourth Year 90.20

Duration of Digital
Device Usage
0 to 3 Hours 78.77

More than 3 Hours.

77.20 1.71 2 0.43
up to 6 Hours.

More than 6 Hours 88.14

*Significant at p < 0.05

Using the Kruskal-Wallis H Test, it was found out that there is no significant

difference on the socio-emotional literacy of the respondents when they are

grouped according to their year level. Also, that there is no significant difference

on the socio-emotional literacy of the respondents when they are grouped

according to their duration of digital device usage.

 43

CHAPTER 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The chapter presents the summary of the findings, conclusions, and

recommendations of the researchers to find solutions to the problems of the study.

Summary of Findings

This study was conducted to assess the digital literacy of preservice

elementary teachers at Iloilo Science and Technology University- Miagao Campus

Academic Year 2023-2024.

Findings revealed that the respondents had above average knowledge on

digital literacy as well as on its constructs. The preservice teachers have the highest

literacy on information, followed by photo-visual, socio-emotional, reproduction, and

with least literacy on branching. The profile of a respondent with above average

digital literacy in terms sex, year level, social class, location of permanent residency,

and duration of digital device usage is preferably male; second year; coming from a

low-income class; permanently resides outside the poblacion, and usually uses his

digital device an average of more than 6 hours daily.

The null hypotheses of the study was accepted which states that there is no

significant difference on the elementary preservice teachers’ digital literacy when

grouped according to sex, year level, social class, location of permanent residency and

duration of digital devices usage.

Also, it is noteworthy that some of the individual constructs are significantly

different when grouped according to sex, year level, social class, location of

permanent residency, and duration of digital devices usage. The photo-visual literacy

of the respondents significantly differs across year levels while the information

literacy of the respondents significantly differs across locations of permanent

 44

residency. Moreover, the branching literacy of the respondents significantly differs

across locations of permanent residency and year levels.

Conclusions

Based on the findings, the respondents consider themselves as above-average

digital literates. Moreover, the respondents were above-average information, photo-

visual, socio-emotional, reproduction, and branching literates. The digital literacy of

the respondents was not associated to sex as well to year level, social class, location

of permanent residency and duration of digital devices usage. Furthermore, the year

level of the respondents has a relationship on his/her photo-visual and branching

literacies while the location of their permanent residency has a relationship on his/her

information and branching literacies.

Recommendations

Based on the conclusions, the following recommendations are thereby

advanced:

To enhance their digital literacy, respondents may adapt with the technological

evolution to keep them updated and aware, hence improving their level of digital

literacy.

Teachers may support learning by planning for the entire component of digital
Kon sino kag anu ang pasunod nyo diri sa mga entity sa significance of
literacy to be fostered across
the study amu teaching. Thispasunod
man ra dapat will help
dirithe students
sa inyo recognized and
recommendation

develop their literacy as a whole through various tools and strategies applied in

teaching and learning process.

Curriculum planners may look at what is being done in digital education and

rethink or philosophize over how each new ideas and approaches fits in. Continually
 45

evaluation how each of today’s generation learns with regards to instruction can

eventually hold education to high standards.

University administrator may encourage teacher to utilize strategies that

facilitate comfort with integrating digital literacies in meaningful ways.

Appendix

Mann Whitney U Tests to test paired categories of significantly different variables

based on the Kruskal-Wallis H Test
46
47
48
 49

References

Ata R, Yildirim K (2019) Exploring Turkish pre-service teachers’ perceptions and

views

of digital literacy. Educ sci 9(1):40. https://doi.org/10.3390/edi9010040

Belshaw. (2012). Role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Nepalese

Banking Industry. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology
and Services, 75-88.

Chu, J., Lin, R., Qin, Z. et al. Exploring factors influencing pre-service teacher’s
digital teaching competence and the mediating effects of data literacy:
empirical evidence from China. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 10, 508 (2023).

Eshet-Alkalai, Y. (2004). Digital literacy: A conceptual framework for survival skills

in the digital era. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13 (1):
93-106

Front Psychol. 2022; retrieve from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9514044/?
fbclid=IwAR2qZq_aeSeAsB2BBiWUpVKpt7s8WDxnPNOqWngv9eWOjjypzj7SgIs
VQs Published online 2022 Sep 6
Kastis and Karneiro (2019). Inquiry on inquiry: Practitioner research and student
learning. Action in Teacher Education, 31(2), 17-32.

Levin, B. (2014). Collaborative action research projects: Enhancing preservice teacher

development in professional development schools. Teacher Education
Quarterly, 29(1), 7-21.

Placier, P. (2001). Teacher change. In V. Richardson (Ed.), Fourth handbook of

research on teaching (pp. 905-947). Washington, DC: American Educational
Research Association.

Rıdvan Ata, Kasım Yıldırım (2019) Exploring Turkish pre-service Teachers’

Perceptions and views of Digital Literacy. Education Science, 9(1)

Sandholtz. (2015). Preservice Teachers’ conceptions of effective and ineffective ... -

ed. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ940632.pdf

Tabusum (2014). A developmental-constructivist approach to teacher education.

Journal of Teacher Education, 43(5), 323-335.

Walton (2016). Advances in teacher assessment and their uses. In V. Richardson

(Ed.), Fourth handbook of research on teaching (pp. 259-297). Washington,
DC: American Educational Research Association.

Watt, H., & Richardson, P. (2016). Motivations, perceptions, and aspirations concerning
teaching as a career for different types of beginning teachers. Learning and
Instruction, 18, 408-428
50
 51

APPENDIX B
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
PART 1. RESPONDENT’S PROFILE

Please fill out the blanks for the information needed. For those provided with a
checkbox, kindly tick the box that corresponds to your answer.
Name:
_____________________________________________________________________

Sex: Male Female

Monthly Income of the Family:

Below Php 24,000 Php 24,000 to Php 145,000 Above Php
145,000
Location of Permanent Residency:
Within the Poblacion Outside the Poblacion
Number of Digital Devices Frequently Used:
Which of the following digital devices do you frequently use? Check all that applies.
Smartphone Smart Television Smart Watch
Laptop Desktop Computer Tablet
Virtual Reality Headset Video Game Console Digital Camera
Printer/ Scanner Smart Appliances Smart Car
Average Number of Hours using Digital Devices:
If we combine all the hours you spend on all your devices, how long, on average, do
you usually use your digital devices every day?
0 to 3 hours More than 3 hours up to 6 hours More than 6 hours
Internet Connectivity:
How are you hooked up to the Internet? Check all that applies.
Broadband Connectivity (DSL,ADSL, Cable Modems)
Wireless Connectivity (Mobile Data)
 52

PART 2. DIGITAL LITERACY

Read carefully and put a mark (/) in the appropriate column given below.
Strongly Strongly
Photo Visual Literacy Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Disagree
1. I know the functions of the commonly used
digital icons and symbols in computers and smart
devices, i.e. phones, televisions, watch, etc.

2. I can easily understand the meaning and

functions of the digital icons and symbols that are
unique to a certain digital device.

3. Digital icons and symbols help me navigate

and interact with my digital devices more
efficiently.

4. I can interpret instructions and messages well if

they are displayed in visual-graphical form like
the digital icons and symbols.

5. I feel confident in using digital icons and

symbols to communicate and express myself in
digital environments.

Strongly Strongly
Reproduction Literacy Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Disagree
1. It is easy for me to create new ideas and
projects using the information I get from different
digital media such as ebooks, mobile apps,
websites, blogs, social media, digital photos,
videos, and audio, and podcasts.

2. I have been more creative and innovative in

doing my projects with the help of the digital
technologies like computers, smart phones,
printers, digital cameras, and websites.

3. It is simple for me to use the information I get

from various digital media to create my own
unique concept or project.

4. The diverse digital media do not overwhelm

me because I draw inspiration from them.

5. I like to use data from multiple digital media to

create a new concept or project.

Branching Literacy Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

 53

Agree Disagree
1. I find it easy to get accurate results when
searching for information on the Internet.

2. I know how to create the correct keywords for

a fast and accurate search of information on the
Internet.

3. I can navigate the Internet with ease.

4. I can remain focused on finding the

information I need on the Internet even though I
am bombarded with multiple irrelevant pieces of
information.

5. When searching for unfamiliar topics, I know

how to narrow my search to get the desired result
immediately
.
Strongly Strongly
Information Literacy Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Disagree
1. I verify the reliability and credibility of
information by seeking multiple perspectives and
sources before accepting it as true.

2. I actively engage in critical thinking and

suspicion when consuming or sharing
information.

3. I am conscious of the potential for

misinformation or disinformation and take steps
to avoid it.

4. I frequently examine the motivations and

interests behind the information I find to assess its
fairness.

5. I believe that questioning information leads to a

deeper understanding and informed decision-
making.

Strongly Strongly
Socio-Emotional Literacy Agree
Agree Neutral Disagree
Disagree
1. I am mindful of my online presence and how it
affects others' perceptions of me.

2. It is easy for me to identify pretentious people

and scammers on the Internet and social media.

3. I am able to manage and regulate my emotions

 54

effectively in digital environments.

4. I actively engage in positive and supportive

communication in digital spaces.

5. I am skilled at recognizing and addressing

cyberbullying or online harassment.