Digital competence and its components in basic education

Abstract

ABSTRACT Digital competence development in basic education is essential. The main purpose of this study was to measure the levels of digital competencies among students in four areas using a digital competency questionnaire to improve the effectiveness of digital management in basic education. The authors used the digital competence questionnaire for students as a measurement tool, which was subjected to validation. The respondents were 323 students aged 8–14 from three schools in the People’s Republic of China. The PLS-SEM-based CFA approach revealed the validity of the questionnaire, which resulted in high data reliability and consistency. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences with gender and significant correlations (p < 0.05) with age. The students aged 13–14 scored the highest on the domains, while the youngest team aged 8–10 scored the lowest. This article is of practical value as it provides a verified tool for checking the digital competence levels of Chinese students. According to the results, it is crucial to incorporate the development of digital competencies into the elementary school settings to facilitate learning and provide children with an opportunity to achieve a higher digital competence in the future.