Empathy : Jurnal Fakultas Psikologi
Vol. 9 No. 3 (2026): September Edition

Digital literacy and critical thinking skills in vocational high school students: A correlational study

Nisa Hanif (Faculty of Psychology, Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University, Indonesia)
Berliana Henu Cahyani (Faculty of Psychology, Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University, Indonesia)
Haniek Farida (Faculty of Psychology, Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa University, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
22 Sep 2026

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between digital literacy and critical thinking skills among vocational high school students. A quantitative approach with a correlational design was employed. The participants were 168 Grade 10 students from SMK Negeri 1 Pundong, with a mean age of 16 years (SD = 0.48), comprising 145 male students (86.3%) and 23 female students (13.7%). Data were collected using digital literacy and critical thinking skills scales with four-point Likert response formats. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and simple linear regression. The results showed a strong and significant positive relationship between digital literacy and critical thinking skills, r(166) = .761, p < .001. The regression model yielded an R² of .578, indicating that digital literacy accounted for 57.8% of the variance in critical thinking skills, while the remaining 42.2% was associated with other factors not included in the model. These findings indicate that students with higher levels of digital literacy tend to demonstrate stronger critical thinking skills. Theoretically, the findings reinforce the view that digital literacy extends beyond technical proficiency in using digital technologies and involves higher-order cognitive processes, particularly accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and using information. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of integrating digital literacy and critical thinking development into learning activities in vocational high schools.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

EMPATHY

Publisher

Subject

Social Sciences

Description

Jurnal EMPATHY adalah jurnal yang menerbitkan karya ilmiah mahasiswa psikologi Universitas Ahmad Dahlan. Terbit 2 kali dalam setahun. Menerbitkan karya ilmiah ilmu psikologi yang mencakup semua cabang ilmu psikologi yaitu psikologi klinis, psikologi sosial, psikologi perkembangan, psikologi ...