Digital Citizenship among Saudi Community Colleges’ Undergraduates: Reality and Requirements for Enablement

Abstract

This mixed mode study aims at examining digital citizenship among Saudi university undergraduates at the community college at the University of Tabuk. The objective of the study is manifested in three main axes; first, measuring the Saudi university undergraduates' perceptions of four categories of digital citizenship: Ethics, Media and Information Literacy, Engagement, and Critical Resistance. Second, investigate points of similarities and differences between male and female participants concerning the aforementioned categories. Lastly, the study explores the potential avenues for digital citizenship enablement within the selected context. 560 (280 females & 280 males) undergraduates participated in the study. Their age varied from 21 to 24 years old. The researchers designed a scale based on Ribble’s (2015) and Siemens’ (2005) theory of connectivism theoretical framework of digital citizenship. Two research instruments were used to collect data from participants in this study including an online questionnaire survey and an interview for 10 undergraduates (5 males & 5 females). Conducting exploratory factor analysis showed that the questionnaire had discriminant and convergent validity. 72.50% total variance was discussed by the nine applied digital citizenship factors. The findings of the study showed no statistical differences between undergraduates’ digital citizenship uses related to gender, educational level, and age. In addition, the results indicated there was a statistical difference between undergraduates’ digital citizenship uses credited to their regular practices with electronic devices.