Digital literacy in Ecuadorian basic education: an implementation analysis in rural public schools (2020–2024)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64747/w611p266Keywords:
digital literacy, General Basic Education GBE, rural schools, teacher digital competence, school connectivityAbstract
This study examined the implementation of digital literacy in rural public schools serving the Upper Sublevel of Basic Education (EGB) in Ecuador’s Guayas province between 2020 and 2024. We employed an explanatory sequential mixed‑methods design combining national household microdata (ENEMDU‑ICT), administrative school records on connectivity and device provision, standardized student performance tasks (verified search, multimodal synthesis, and digital citizenship/safety), and qualitative evidence (interviews, focus groups, and classroom observations). The sample comprised 24 schools (≈720 students, 120 teachers). Quantitative analyses used multilevel linear models, logistic regressions, household‑connectivity moderation, and partial mediation via meaningful pedagogical use; the qualitative phase followed a reflexive thematic analysis. Findings revealed sustained increases in home internet access and device availability among rural households with school‑age children, together with marked heterogeneity across schools in effective bandwidth and student‑to‑device ratios. School infrastructure (standardized index), household connectivity, and meaningful pedagogical use were positively associated with digital performance (β≈0.11–0.23), with stronger effects for verified search and multimodal synthesis (d≈0.30–0.38). We observed moderation of the infrastructure effect by household connectivity (βint=0.09) and partial mediation of teacher training through pedagogical use (indirect effect=0.042; 95% CI: 0.015–0.079). Qualitative evidence clarified mechanisms linked to verification‑oriented teaching, production with real audiences, and school‑level connectivity management. We conclude that digital literacy advances when minimum infrastructure thresholds (≤3 students per device; ≥10 Mbps per classroom; ≥90% stability), situated teacher development, and authentic, intermittency‑tolerant tasks converge. Policies should strengthen school‑home‑community articulation, embed digital citizenship and well‑being more explicitly in the curriculum, and scale network‑management strategies and local repositories. The study contributes open data and scripts, verifiable operational thresholds, and testable hypotheses for future quasi‑experimental evaluations.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Catalina de Fatima Quizhpe Morocho, Francisco Javier Montenegro Ruiz, Mayra Elizabeth Suquillo Narváez, Gladys Apolonia León Álava (Autor/a)
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