Comprehensive exploration of digital literacy: Embedded with self-regulation and epistemological beliefs

Abstract

Today, science educators accept that digital literacy has been one of the key concepts for science teachers in terms of creating meaningful science learning environments. Although there are many research attempts investigating digital literacy in science teacher education literature, the interrelations of this concept to cognitive and metacognitive aspects are still blurred. In this regard, this study was conducted to investigate the structural relations among preservice science teachers' epistemological beliefs, self-regulated learning skills, and digital literacy as well as the reasons for these relations. A sequential explanatory research design guided this two-step study. The first step involved structural equation modeling analysis of data from 612 preservice science teachers. The second step focused on the reasons for the structural relations observed in the first step. Six participants were selected as the cases in the latter. Overall, the results showed that participants' epistemological beliefs, self-regulation skills, and digital literacy are closely related to each other. Epistemological and self-regulational filters as well as epistemic bias and the context in which the filters exist directly affect these relationships. Considering the results, it was suggested that preservice science teachers should be involved in inquiry-based and argumentation-based learning mediums since these types of mediums contribute positively to the development of epistemological beliefs and self-regulation skills.