DIGITAL LITERACY AS A POWER SKILL: HOW SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS SELF-REGULATE THEMSELVES IN A DIGITAL AGE

Abstract

In today's technology driven world digital literacy plays an important role to self-regulate students. Digital technology enhances self-regulated learning (SRL) by providing tools that support autonomy and responsibility in learning, which can positively influence educational performance. This study investigated the levels of digital literacy and self-regulation among secondary school students, it also examines the relationship between digital literacy and self-regulated learning. A quantitative correlational research design was employed to achieve the objectives of this study. All the secondary school students of District Multan was taken as the population of the study. A sample of 240 students were selected from secondary schools of district Multan by applying Multistage sampling techniques. Questionnaire was designed to get the information regarding digital literacy skills and self-regulation of the students. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were used to find out the results which indicates that students have high levels of digital literacy and moderate-to-high self-regulation. All seven factors of digital literacy were positively and significantly correlated with self-regulation. The overall digital literacy score was positively related to self-regulation (r = 0.209, p < 0.01). These results suggest that digital literacy plays a critical role in fostering self-regulated learning among secondary students. This study recommends integrating digital literacy programs into school curricula to enhance students’ self-management and learning outcomes.