Abstract/Summary

In recent decades, there has been a substantial increase in research into children’s online technology use worldwide. Digital technology is introduced to children early, exposing them to online opportunities and threats. Providing children with appropriate online knowledge and abilities is therefore vital to ensure their safe and responsible digital growth. Nevertheless, although Saudi Arabia has seen a dramatic increase in living standards and development in online technology-based services since implementing the national transformation plan (2016- 2020) to achieve the ‘2030 Vision’ (NTP, 2018), research on childhood and constructing digital citizenship remains limited. This study investigated parents’ and teachers’ practices and views on nine dimensions of digital citizenship (Ribble, 2015), particularly in relation to the key principles of ‘Respect, Educate and Protect’ (REP) when dealing with the online technology use of children enrolled in early childhood schools. It also examined the similarities and differences in how parents and teachers interact with their children’s online usage to develop digital citizenship. This exploratory study used a mixed-methods research approach, employing both quantitative and qualitative measures online. Scales of parents’ and teachers’ practice of digital citizenship were developed to gather data from 357 parents and 156 teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten parents, five teachers and five early childhood specialists. The study’s key findings indicate that the teachers demonstrated high digital citizenship practices of all three REP principles, whereas the parents were found to have high practices of Respect and Protect but only a modest practice in the principle of Educate. The findings also showed that the parents’ practices regarding the dimension of digital literacy differed according to their children’s age. Furthermore, although the parents and teachers discussed various relevant issues, the data showed their limited understanding of digital citizenship. Using Vygotsky’s (1978) concepts of mediation and Bronfenbrenner’s (1994) macrosystem lens, the findings showed that the parents and teachers perceived digital citizenship as composed of mediation strategies and socio-cultural constructs. They also demonstrated that the socio-cultural context, online media and home and school relationships affected children’s formation of digital citizenship. This study is a valuable contribution to the Saudi education context in regard to the development of digital citizenship among children, and it provides the basis for future studies to extend the educational literature.