The contribution of digital literacy to elementary school students’ science learning outcomes

Science learning outcomes among elementary school students remain a significant concern, particularly in the context of rapid technological advancement and the increasing demand for 21st-century competencies. Many students continue to demonstrate limited achievement in science, which may be associated with insufficient digital literacy skills and low engagement in learning activities. This study aimed to examine the contribution of digital literacy to science learning outcomes among fourth-grade students at SD Negeri 2 Latihan SPG Ambon. A quantitative research design was employed using a simple random sampling technique. The population comprised all upper elementary school students (Grades IV, V, and VI). The research sample was determined through a lottery method, in which Grade IV was randomly selected from the three grade levels. The selected sample consisted of 42 fourth-grade students from two parallel classes. Data were collected using a digital literacy questionnaire and a science achievement test. The questionnaire data were transformed from an ordinal to an interval scale using the Method of Successive Intervals (MSI) before statistical analysis. The data were analyzed using simple linear regression to examine the effect and contribution of digital literacy to students' science learning outcomes. The findings revealed that students demonstrated a moderate-to-high level of digital literacy, with a mean score of 70.17, while the average science achievement score was 82.86. Regression analysis indicated that digital literacy had a positive and statistically significant effect on science learning outcomes (p < 0.05). Furthermore, digital literacy accounted for 39.7% of the variance in students' science learning outcomes, highlighting its substantial contribution to academic achievement. These findings suggest that strengthening students' digital literacy skills can improve science learning outcomes. Therefore, schools should integrate digital literacy into science instruction and provide continuous support for technology-enhanced learning environments to optimize students' academic achievement in the digital era.