Exploring maternal perceptions of critical digital engagement practices in Iranian children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Limited studies exist that demonstrate the way that children show critical digital literacies such as expressing their voices through digital technologies at home. To explore this further, the present study draws on Mirra et al.’s framework (2018) to analyze the types of critical digital engagement with digital technologies. Critical digital engagement refers to different critical digital literacy practices used to achieve a particular goal such as critically evaluating, creating, sharing, and designing digital resources. In this study, we recruited five Iranian families involving five mothers and six children aged six to seven. The data collection process involved semi-structured interviews with the children and mothers, demographic profiles, and collecting photos of the children’s home digital literacy practices. Having used deductive coding, we report on several differences and similarities between children’s digital literacy practices and their types of critical engagement such as critical digital consumption, production, distribution, and invention. These similarities and differences may stem from political, historical, social, cultural, and economic influences in the Iranian context. Understanding the way that children express their voices through digital technologies can give invaluable insights for policymakers, teachers, and parents to better support children in becoming engaged digital citizens.