The Effect of Collaborative Digital Storytelling on Media Literacy, Critical Thinking, and Collective (Local) Identity among Sixth-Grade Elementary School Students in Buin va Miandasht
Keywords:
Collaborative digital storytelling, media literacy, critical thinking, collective identity, local identity, Elementary School StudentsAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the effect of collaborative digital storytelling on media literacy, critical thinking, and collective (local) identity among sixth-grade elementary school students in Buin va Miandasht. This applied study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with an experimental and a control group. The statistical population consisted of 1,322 sixth-grade elementary school students in Buin va Miandasht. Initially, 60 students were selected through cluster sampling. Following the preliminary administration of the study instruments, 30 students with lower scores were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. Data were collected using Thoman’s Media Literacy Questionnaire, the California Critical Thinking Skills Test, and the Collective Identity Questionnaire developed by Hejazi-Rabi and Lohrasbi. The experimental group participated in a collaborative digital storytelling program comprising ten 40-minute sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses of covariance at a significance level of 0.05. Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated a significant overall effect of group membership on the combined dependent variables of media literacy, critical thinking, and collective (local) identity (Wilks’ Lambda=0.256, Pillai’s Trace=0.740, F(3,23)=22.310, p<0.001, η²=0.744). After controlling for pretest scores, collaborative digital storytelling had a significant effect on media literacy (F=22.611, p<0.001, η²=0.456), critical thinking (F=29.407, p<0.001, η²=0.521), and collective (local) identity (F=20.965, p<0.001, η²=0.437). Collaborative digital storytelling can serve as an active and multidimensional instructional approach capable of simultaneously enhancing students’ media literacy, critical thinking, and collective (local) identity by engaging them in multimedia content production, information analysis and evaluation, collaborative decision-making, and representation of local cultural elements. Accordingly, its purposeful integration into elementary education may contribute to the development of students’ media-related, cognitive, and social competencies.
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