How students can be effective citizens in the digital age: Establishing the Teachers' Perceptions on Digital Citizenship Scale

Abstract

As teachers are purveyors of digital citizenship and their perspectives influence classroom practice, it is important to understand teachers' views on digital citizenship. This study establishes the Teachers' Perceptions of Digital Citizenship Scale (T-PODS) as a survey instrument for scholars to investigate educators' views on digital citizenship for their students. Drawing upon existing research, a theorized model of digital citizenship was developed and validated via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), resulting in a 14-item four-factor model. Factor constructs include digital ethics, participation and engagement, informed citizens and civic know-how. As teachers' views can shift over time, particularly with the emergence of new technologies, scholars can utilize T-PODS as they investigate educators' perceptions of digital citizenship across time and context.