Digital citizenship and its relevance for literacy education: perspectives of preservice teachers

This research examines preservice teachers’ perspectives on digital citizenship and its relevance for literacy education. Digital citizenship has been explored in various ways in recent decades, primarily in the educational technology literature, and prominent themes of digital citizenship include the use of safely, responsibly, and productively using technology to engage in digital spaces. However, limited research has explored preservice teachers’ perspectives on digital citizenship, particularly as relates to literacy education. This qualitative case study investigates the views of 111 preservice teachers enrolled in a teacher preparation program in the Midwestern United States on digital citizenship and its relevance for literacy education. Data analysis of participants’ written reflections revealed four primary themes of digital citizenship that align with concepts, skills, and goals in literacy education: well-informed citizens, community engagement and activism, safety, and technological know-how. These themes also connect to digital literacies. Given the commonalities between digital citizenship and literacy education, explicit integration of digital citizenship curricula into literacy education can connect important and discrete digital literacy skills into more cohesive educational units that empower children to safely and productively utilize digital technologies to promote meaningful change in their communities.