<![CDATA[Digital media has become increasingly integrated into elementary civic education, yet the extent to which its reported benefits reflect robust pedagogical effects remains unclear. This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on digital media in elementary civic education, focusing on learning outcomes, motivation, student engagement, critical thinking, and methodological limitations. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches were conducted in Scopus and Google Scholar for journal articles published between 2023 and June 2026. Studies were included if they examined digital media in elementary civic education, involved elementary students or teachers, reported empirical findings, and were indexed in Scopus or Sinta 1–3. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed using descriptive and inductive thematic analysis, supplemented by a four-item research quality assessment. Canva and gamification- or quiz-based platforms, particularly Wordwall, Quizizz, and Kahoot, were the most frequently examined media. Across the reviewed studies, digital media was associated with reported gains in learning outcomes, motivation, and student engagement. However, the evidence base remains methodologically limited. Most studies used single-group or pretest–posttest designs without control groups, limiting causal attribution. Motivation was generally assessed immediately after intervention, leaving its long-term sustainability unexamined. Only three studies explicitly assessed critical thinking, with limited evidence of higher-order cognitive assessment. Overall, research has emphasized immediate learning responses rather than sustained motivation and deeper civic competencies. Future studies should prioritize comparative and controlled designs, longitudinal assessment, validated measures of higher-order thinking and civic-value development, and developmentally appropriate media aligned with instructional objectives and classroom conditions.]]>
