The Relationship of Digital Literacy and Student Engagement on Student English Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24256/ideas.v13i1.7040Keywords:
Digital Literacy, Student Engagement, English LearningAbstract
This study examines the relationship between digital literacy and student engagement in English language learning among tenth-grade students at a rural Indonesian high school. Using a quantitative correlational approach, data were obtained from 100 students using a structured questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.662). The analysis revealed a moderate, significant correlation between digital literacy and English learning achievement (r = 0.530), and a strong correlation between student engagement and achievement (r = 0.598). However, digital literacy was not significantly associated with engagement. These findings suggest that while digital skills contribute to achievement, they do not directly enhance engagement. This study applies the Self-Determination Theory framework and emphasizes the need for multifaceted strategies to foster engagement. Instrument reliability and contextual limitations are acknowledged. The findings offer insights for educators and policymakers in rural digital-based English instruction.
References
Alakrash, Hussien Mohamad, and Norizan Abdul Razak. 2021. “Technology-Based Language Learning: Investigation of Digital Technology and Digital Literacy.” Sustainability. doi: 10.3390/su132112304.
Appleton, James J., Sandra L. Christenson, and Michael J. Furlong. 2008. “Student Engagement with School: Critical Conceptual and Methodological Issues of the Construct.” Psychology in the Schools 45(5):369–86.
Arsari, Made Henning Ayu Ayu. 2022. “The Importance of Digital Literacy to Enhance Students’ Ability in English Language.” Jambura Journal of English Teaching and Literature. doi: 10.37905/jetl.v3i1.13939.
Bergdahl, Nina, Jalal Nouri, and U. Fors. 2019. “Disengagement, Engagement, and Digital Skills in Technology-Enhanced Learning.” Education and Information Technologies 25:957–83. doi: 10.1007/s10639-019-09998-w.
Bani, M., & Masruddin, M. (2021). Development of an Android-based harmonic oscillation pocketbookfor senior high school students. JOTSE: Journal of Technology and Science Education, 11(1), 93-103.
Creswell, John W., and J. David Creswell. 2017. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. Sage Publications.
Deci, Edward L., and Richard M. Ryan. 2008. “Self-Determination Theory: A Macrotheory of Human Motivation, Development, and Health.” Canadian Psychology 49(3):182–85. doi: 10.1037/a0012801.
Dewanto, Encep Syarifudin, Sholeh Hidayat, and Suryadi. 2024. “The Effect of Digital Literacy, Innovative Attitudes, and Interpersonal Communication on Teacher Performance.” IJORER: International Journal of Recent Educational Research 5(2):477–89. doi: 10.46245/ijorer.v5i2.583.
Etikan, Ilker. 2016. “Comparison of Convenience Sampling and Purposive Sampling.” American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics 5(1):1. doi: 10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11.
Fredricks, Jennifer, Phyllis Blumenfeld, and Alison Paris. 2004. “School Engagement : Potential of the Concept, State of the Evidence Authors (s ): Jennifer A. Fredricks, Phyllis C. Blumenfeld, and Alison H. Paris Published by: American Educational Research Association Stable URL: Http://Www.Jstor.Org/Stable/3516.” Review of Educational Research 74(1):59–109.
Godwin-Jones, R. 2018. “Using Mobile Technology to Develop Language Skills and Cultural Understanding.” Language Learning & Technology 22(3):3–17.
Hidayat, Nur, and Suryadi Suryadi. n.d. “Improving Student Learning Outcomes Through the Use of Digital Learning Media.” Jurnal Visi Ilmu Pendidikan 15(1):29–36.
Hiver, Phil, Ali Al-Hoorie, Joseph Vitta, and Janice Wu. 2021. “Engagement in Language Learning: A Systematic Review of 20 Years of Research Methods and Definitions.” Language Teaching Research 28:201–30. doi: 10.1177/13621688211001289.
Kucuk, Sevda, and Jennifer C. Richardson. 2019. “A Structural Equation Model of Predictors of Online Learners’ Engagement and Satisfaction.” Online Learning Journal 23(2):196–216. doi: 10.24059/olj.v23i2.1455.
Kuh, George D. 2009. “What Student Affairs Professionals Need to Know about Student Engagement.” Journal of College Student Development 50(6):683–706.
Madehang, M., Masruddin, M., & Iksan, M. (2024). Reflecting on the Implementation of Online English Learning in Islamic Higher Education: Lecturers and Students’ Perspectives. International Journal of Asian Education, 5(3), 183-197.
Ng, Wan. 2012. “Can We Teach Digital Natives Digital Literacy?” Computers and Education 59(3):1065–78. doi: 10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.016.
Saleh, Amany, and K. Bista. 2017. “Examining Factors Impacting Online Survey Response Rates in Educational Research: Perceptions of Graduate Students.” Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation. doi: 10.56645/jmde.v13i29.487.
Taber, Keith S. 2018. “The Use of Cronbach’s Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education.” Research in Science Education 48(6):1273–96. doi: 10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2.
Wang, Jianhua, Xi Zhang, and L. Zhang. 2022. “Effects of Teacher Engagement on Students’ Achievement in an Online English as a Foreign Language Classroom: The Mediating Role of Autonomous Motivation and Positive Emotions.” Frontiers in Psychology 13. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.950652.
Wei, Xiaodong, Dongdong Weng, Yue Liu, and Yongtian Wang. 2015. “Teaching Based on Augmented Reality for a Technical Creative Design Course.” Computers & Education 81:221–34.
Yang, Shengli, and Weirong Wang. 2022. “The Role of Academic Resilience, Motivational Intensity, and Their Relationship in EFL Learners’ Academic Achievement.” Frontiers in Psychology 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.823537.
Zein, Subhan, D. Sukyadi, F. Hamied, and N. Lengkanawati. 2020. “English Language Education in Indonesia: A Review of Research (2011–2019).” Language Teaching 53:491–523. doi: 10.1017/S0261444820000208.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hilda Triana, Suryadi

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under an Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See the Effect of Open Access)