Personal Responsibility and Beyond

Developing a Comprehensive Conceptualization of Digital Citizenship Competences

Abstract

As digital transformation reshapes society, it is crucial to understand the evolving demands on education to prepare individuals for this new reality. Although the conceptualizations and objectives vary, digital citizenship education (DCE) typically aims to equip individuals with the competencies necessary not just to thrive in digital and democratic societies but also to critically analyze and actively shape them. However, existing efforts often focus too narrowly on technical skills and online safety, overlooking the broader notion of citizenship in educational contexts. This article addresses this gap by examining the conceptualization of citizenship within the field of DCE, led primarily by the structure of Choi’s (2016) concept analysis, and proposing a more comprehensive framework based on the citizenship ideals by Westheimer and Kahne (2004). Drawing on existing frameworks and synthesizing various DCE approaches, the article presents the Integrated Framework of Abilities for Digital Citizenship (Infra-DC). We then examine existing measurement instruments to determine their alignment with the proposed framework. This conceptual work contributes to advancing DCE efforts by promoting a nuanced understanding of citizenship and providing guidance for future research, program development, and evaluation.