SELF-ASSESSMENT OF DIGITAL LITERACY AND STUDENT COMPETENCE IN THE CONTEXT OF TEACHING THE DIGITAL WORLD

Abstract

Digital competencies are a key component of modern education, the development of which requires pedagogically designed intervention, especially in early school age. In the Republic of Srpska, the Digital World subject was introduced as a systemic response to this challenge, with the aim of ensuring that students from junior grades acquire functional, critical, and safe digital skills. The aim of this research was to examine how the first class of students who have completed this four-year programme self-assess their digital literacy and competencies. The theoretical framework is based on the European DigComp reference framework, which defines digital competencies as an integrated set of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and on the theory of self-efficacy, which emphasises the role of self-confidence in educational achievements. The research included 1,034 fifth-grade primary school students from all regions of the Republic of Srpska. The instrument used, constructed on the basis of the curriculum, showed solid reliability. The results indicate a high and uniform level of positive self-assessment, without significant regional or gender differences, which highlights the egalitarian impact of the standardised curriculum. While the connection with school success is positive but weak, the frequency of use of digital devices was shown to be negatively associated with self-assessment of competencies, confirming that it is not the quantity of use that is decisive, but the quality of digital practice. The Digital World subject shows effectiveness in building digital selfconfidence, but, at the same time, sets an imperative for deepening teaching towards the development of critical, reflective, and responsible digital literacy.