These proceedings represent the work of researchers participating in The International Conference on Elementary Education (ICEE) which is being hosted by the Elementary Education Study Programme School of Postgraduate Studies, Universitas Pendidikan
Vol. 8 No. 1 (2025): Proceedings The 8th International Conference on Elementary Education

The Influence of Digital Literacy Understanding on Elementary School Students’ Ability to Verify Information and identify Hoax

Nurlaelasari, Fithri (Unknown)
Heriyani, Rina (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Mar 2026

Abstract

Rapid technological developments have made school-age students, especially elementary school students, digital natives who are accustomed to interacting and using the internet every day. This makes it easy for students to obtain information and spread hoaxes quickly through social media platforms. Understanding digital literacy among elementary school students is very important for developing critical verification skills. This study examines the effect of digital literacy understanding on elementary school students' ability to verify information and identify hoaxes. Using a purely quantitative survey approach, data were collected from 170 fourth- to sixth-grade students at SDN Melong Mandiri 1, Cimahi City using a 25-item Likert-scale questionnaire and 6 binary hoax scenarios. Descriptive analysis revealed a high overall digital literacy understanding (Mean=4.16, SD=0.87), with online privacy and personal security as the strongest dimension (Mean=4.35) and critical evaluation/hoax identification as the weakest (Mean=4.05). The average hoax detection accuracy was 88.5%, the highest for official sources (96.4%) and the lowest for health myths (72.1%). Inferential analysis confirmed a significant positive effect (r=0.684, p<0.001), with digital literacy explaining 46.8% of the variance in verification/hoax-recognition skills. The study concluded that although students have a strong digital literacy foundation, strengthening detailed, targeted evaluation skills is crucial, particularly related to contextual analysis and source credibility. This includes addressing vulnerability to subtle hoaxes suchas health myths, thereby enhancing overall digital resilience. Practical implications include a structured literacy module for elementary schools focused on critical verification training.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

icee

Publisher

Subject

Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Mathematics Social Sciences

Description

Mathematics, Science and Social Education, Higher Level Thinking Skills Learning (HOTS), Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Classroom Today, Society Era 5.0, Cooperative/Collaborative Learning, Multicultural Education and Inclusive Education, School Leadership and Management, ...