Basic Education Learners' Digital Literacy and Their Perceptions of English-Speaking Ability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20685304Keywords:
digital literacy, English-speaking ability, communicative competence, basic education learners, ICT integration, online collaborationAbstract
This study examined the relationship between digital literacy and basic education learners' perceptions of their English-speaking ability. A quantitative correlational research design was used. The respondents were 316 learners from Grades 7 to 12 enrolled at a private school in Davao City during School Year 2025-2026. Stratified random sampling was employed, and an adapted structured questionnaire was administered after expert validation and pilot testing with 20 learners who were excluded from the final sample. The instrument obtained a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .844. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression were analyzed using JASP. Results showed that the learners generally demonstrated moderately extensive digital literacy. Online collaborative engagement obtained the highest dimension mean (M = 3.66), whereas the evaluation of credible online language resources obtained the lowest (M = 3.25). Learners perceived their English-speaking ability as generally extensive (M = 3.62). Fluency and coherence obtained the highest mean (M = 4.00), while appropriate vocabulary usage obtained the lowest (M = 3.31). Digital literacy was strongly and positively related to perceived English-speaking ability, r = .734, p < .001. The reported regression model was statistically significant, F(4, 311) = 77.357, p < .001, explaining 49.9% of the variance in perceived English-speaking ability. The findings indicate that technology-enhanced English instruction should strengthen digital-resource evaluation, contextual vocabulary use, and meaningful online collaboration.
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