International Journal of Educational Research Excellence (IJERE)
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): July-December

The Impact of Digital Literacy Integration on Critical Thinking Skills in Secondary School Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Kaso Mustamin (Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia (UPRI) Makassar, Indonesia)
Andi Hidayati (Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia (UPRI) Makassar, Indonesia)
Yusuf (Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia (UPRI) Makassar, Indonesia)
Etty Rosmiati (Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia (UPRI) Makassar, Indonesia)
Muhammad Al Muhajir (Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia (UPRI) Makassar, Indonesia)
Sumarni Rumfot (Universitas Pattimura, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jun 2026

Abstract

The rapid digitalization of education demands the integration of digital literacy into instruction, yet empirical evidence on its effect on higher-order thinking in Indonesian secondary schools remains scarce. This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of systematic digital literacy integration on students’ critical thinking skills. A total of 128 eleventh-grade students from two public senior high schools in West Sumatra participated, assigned to an experimental group (n=64) receiving technology-enhanced, inquiry-based learning with embedded digital literacy activities and a control group (n=64) following conventional instruction. Critical thinking was measured using an adapted Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level X before and after a 10-week intervention. Analysis of covariance, controlling for pretest scores and prior digital access, revealed a significant large effect of the intervention (F(1,124)=127.84, p<.001, partial η²=.508). The experimental group’s adjusted posttest mean (M=63.28, SE=0.61) substantially exceeded that of the control group (M=52.14, SE=0.61). Subscale analysis indicated significant improvements in induction, deduction, evaluation, and inference. Effect sizes ranged from Cohen’s d=1.42 for the total score to d=0.94 for evaluation. These findings demonstrate that deliberate integration of digital literacy can robustly enhance secondary students’ critical thinking, offering a scalable, evidence-based model for 21st-century curriculum reform in Indonesia

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijere

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Social Sciences Other

Description

Welcome to the International Journal of Educational Research Excellence (IJERE), ISSN. 2830-7933 (Online). IJERE is the first open access and double-blind peer-reviewed international journal managed by PT Inovasi Pratama Internasional, which exclusively focuses on education and Education technology. ...