Pathways to digital reading literacy among secondary school students: A multilevel analysis using data from 31 economies

In our technology-driven society, digital reading literacy has emerged as a valuable skill as people increasingly read on digital devices rather than from print sources. Using an internationally representative sample (N = 211,899) across 31 economies, this study employed the opportunity-propensity framework to comprehensively investigate the role and relative contribution of opportunity, propensity, and antecedent factors in adolescent students' digital reading literacy. Hierarchical linear modeling and dominance analysis were performed. The results showed that although all three groups of factors contributed to adolescents' digital reading performance, the relative contribution of these factors differed. Propensity factors made the greatest contribution to digital reading performance, most notably metacognitive reading strategies and reading self-concept. While opportunity and antecedent factors such as schools’ support in ICT resources and socioeconomic background also played a role, their contributions were relatively limited. These findings have significant implications for advancing current theories of digital reading and for guiding digital reading instruction in secondary education.