EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A TRAINING PROGRAM IN DEVELOPING AWARENESS OF DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL FEMALE STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

Background: Students with intellectual disabilities (ID) face many security risks on the Internet, highlighting the importance of acquiring digital competencies to use the Internet safely and appropriately. Aims: The study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a digital citizenship program in enhancing awareness of digital citizenship behaviors among 10 secondary school female students with intellectual disabilities aged between 15 and 18 years. Methods: A single group pre-post-test design was adopted. The study instruments included a five-week training program and an attitude test to estimate the growth in digital citizenship behavior awareness among female students with ID. Results: The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre-and post-test scores, revealing increased post-test scores and suggesting improvements in digital citizenship awareness. Implications: This training program could help to develop plans for educational programs on digital citizenship and improve teaching quality by incorporating digital citizenship concepts into the digital skills curriculum and tailoring these concepts to the needs of students with ID. Further, it may also help to formulate manuals that include guidelines for teachers on how to implement lessons according to the characteristics and specific needs of students with ID.