T e a c h e r C h a l l e n g e s i n D e v e l o p i n g D i g i t a l L i t e r a c y i n S c h o o l s during
the Pandemic Era
Mite Setiansah, Wiwik Novianti and Nana Sutikna
Department of Communication Science, Jenderal Soedirman University, Purwokerto, Indonesia
Keywords: Pandemic, School, Teacher, Digital Literacy.
Abstract: The pandemic era has accelerated the need for mastery of digital literacy very quickly. The government is
currently also aggressively conducting a National Digital Literacy Movement campaign, which includes
targeting three basic environments, namely schools, families and communities. To support the creation of
literate schools, literate teachers are one of the prerequisites. With the aim of knowing the involvement of
teachers as facilitators of literacy education in schools, this research was conducted using a qualitative
descriptive method. Initial data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires to informants which
were then deepened through focus group discussions. This study involved Guidance and Counseling teachers
from public and private junior high schools in the City of Purwokerto. The results of the study show that
teachers still face many challenges and obstacles in developing digital literacy in schools, especially during
the pandemic. The digital literacy movement in schools has not involved all teachers in it. Teachers are also
still more focused on efforts to improve self-competence in order to keep pace with changes in digital
technology in learning and ensure students are able to access digital technology to support learning. Teachers
have not directed digital literacy education much to improve students' critical skills.
1
INTRODUCTION
The pandemic has brought massive disruption to
various sectors of people's lives, including the
education sector. All levels of education including
junior high school (SMP) were 'forced' to transform
to adapt suddenly to learning from home through
online media (Basar, 2021). Various obstacles arise in
the field, ranging from the problem of the availability
of internet access devices, to the level of digital
literacy of students and teachers. Students and
teachers are required to improve their digital
competence quickly. Based on research conducted by
Setiansah, Novianti, Rahmawati & Agustina (2021) it
is known that children (students) are more
comfortable doing knowledge sharing related to
internet use with their peers. Friends are seen as able
to provide answers and solutions related to technical
difficulties encountered when accessing the internet.
Besides their friends, they also choose the teacher as
a place to ask questions compared to their parents.
Asking the teacher is felt to provide more solutions
than asking the parents. The teacher becomes a place
to ask questions when students experience learning
difficulties and also technical difficulties when
accessing digital technology, especially with ICT
teachers.
On the other hand, the study also revealed the fact
that the students were not too familiar with the terms
and concepts of media literacy and digital literacy.
The literacy movement in schools is mostly
understood as the ability to read books and is
programmed through corners or hours of reading
books at school. Even though the Ministry of
Education and Culture (Kementerian Pendidikan dan
Kebudayaan, 2017) has issued a book of materials
supporting the National Digital Literacy Movement
which states that digital literacy is as important as
reading, writing, arithmetic, and other disciplines.
The generation that grew up with unlimited access to
digital technology has a different mindset from the
previous generation. Everyone should be responsible
for how to use technology to interact with the
surrounding environment. Being digitally literate
means being able to process a variety of information,
be able to understand messages and communicate
effectively with others in various forms. In this case,
the form in question includes creating, collaborating,
communicating, and working according to ethical
rules, and understanding when and how technology
Setiansah, M., Novianti, W. and Sutikna, N.
Teacher Challenges in Developing Digital Literacy in Schools during the Pandemic Era.
DOI: 10.5220/0010804700003348
In Proceedings of the 3rd Annual International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (AICOSH 2021), pages 75-80
ISBN: 978-989-758-603-3; ISSN: 2685-273X
Copyright
c
2022 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
75
must be used to be effective in achieving goals. This
includes awareness and critical thinking about the
various positive and negative impacts that may occur
due to the use of technology in everyday life.
Silverblatt (in Baran, 2010) mentions that there
are seven basic elements of media literacy. Baran
(2010) added one more characteristic to make it eight.
Here are eight basic elements of media literacy:
1. A critical thinking skill enabling audience
members to develop independent judgments about
media content
2. An understanding of the process of mass
communication
3. An awareness of the impact of the media o the
individual and society
4. Strategies for analyzing and discussing media
messages
5. An understanding of media content as a text that
provides insight into our culture and our lives.
6. The ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate
media content
7. Development of effective and responsible
production skills
8. An understanding of the ethical and moral
obligations of media practitioners.
The eight characteristics of media literacy above
seem quite comprehensive and are still relevant to be
applied in today's digital era. Especially during the
pandemic, various hoax news also experienced a very
significant increase. Digital literacy is needed that
does not only focus on skills in accessing media but
also understands the process, production and also the
ethics and morals of media actors so that users are
able to be aware of the risks hidden behind various
digital content.
When students' understanding of media literacy is
still limited, the question that arises then is what about
the teachers? Siyamitri (2015) research entitled
"Internet Media Literacy Among Vocational High
School Teachers in Medan City" reveals the fact that
some teacher informants have never heard of the term
media literacy, in other words they do not know the
definition of media literacy [(Siyamitri, 2015). The
informants also did not have knowledge of the
internet media industry, the names of the owners of
websites on the internet or the rules related to the
internet except the ITE Law and the press, but could
not explain the contents of the law (Siyamitri, 2015)
Siyamitri's research which reveals the fact that
teachers do not understand media literacy is
contradictory to the research of Setiansah, Novianti,
Rahmawati and Agustina (2021) which states that the
teacher is the main place for students to ask questions.
This is where this research becomes interesting and
important to do. Teachers are one of the keys to
developing digital literacy in schools. Especially
when the pandemic continues, mastery of digital
literacy is a prerequisite for teachers and students to
be able to carry out learning. Digital literacy is also
needed to protect students from the overflow of
various information and the use of media which has
increased sharply during the pandemic.
Based on the description of the background of the
problem, this research was conducted to find out how
the involvement and challenges of teachers in
developing digital literacy in schools during the
pandemic period is?
2
METHODS
This research was conducted using descriptive
method. The informants are 22 (twenty-two)
Guidance and Counseling teachers at public and
private junior high schools (SMP) in Purwokerto.
Initial data was collected through asurvey using a
google form. Further data mining is carried out
through focus group discussions (FGD) as a form of
data triangulation. The data analysis technique used is
descriptive data analysis technique. Arikunto (1993)
states that descriptive data analysis can be done by
grouping the data into two, namely qualitative data in
the form of words or sentences and quantitative data
in the form of numbers. Qualitative data analysis was
carried out by coding based on the FGD transcripts,
then based on the coding results, categorization and
themes were made as research findings. While the
analysis of quantitative data is carried out by non-
inferential calculations and presented in the form of
tables or diagrams/graphs.
3
RESULTS
3.1
Teacher Involvement in School
Digital Literacy
The teachers who were invited as research informants
were Guidance and Counseling (BK) teachers. BK
teachers were chosen with the consideration that
media and digital literacy problems are not only about
mastering information and communication
technology (ICT) but are also often related to cultural,
psychological, motivational, critical thinking skills
and so on. So far, in society, including schools in
general, when it comes to computers and internet
AICOSH 2021 - The Annual International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (AICOSH) “Life After Pandemic: Perspectives,
Changes, and Challenges”
76
technology, it is immediately the business of ICT
teachers. The limited involvement of non-ICT
teachers in digital literacy issues was also stated by an
informant who is a BK teacher at SMP Diponegoro 1
Purwokerto who admitted that he was surprised to
receive an invitation to the Digital Literacy FGD
because usually things related to digital technology
are always part of the ICT teacher.
The involvement of teachers in digital literacy
programs in schools is also not only related to the
ability of access (technical skills) of teachers. But also
on the involvement of teachers in ensuring that
students can use digital media according to their
designation. As stated by an informant from SMP
Negeri 2 Purwokerto who admitted that his skills in
accessing technology were sometimes inferior to his
students. But that didn't make him careless. The
behavior of students in using digital media then
became the main concern. Differences in the family
background of students have brought different media
behavior to students. It is not uncommon for students
to provide comments or opinions when participating
in online learning in an inappropriate way, so it is
their duty as a BK teacher to remind and direct
students to improve their media behavior.
Slightly different from the conditions in other
schools which generally have not made digital media
literacy education part of the school curriculum, at
SMPIT Al Irsyad Purwokerto, as stated by the BK
teacher who attended the FGD, already has a media
education program. Media education programs are
included in halaqah activities which are carried out
regularly every week. In this halaqah, various
information and knowledge about media wisdom was
conveyed, including dealing with hoax news,
information containing elements of SARA, as well as
controlling the use of media for online games.
3.2
Teacher Challenges in School
Digital Literacy Development
Schools are one of the targets of the National Digital
Literacy Movement. When schools are able to
become drivers of literacy education for students, it is
hoped that later it can cause a multiplier effect on
families and communities. However, based on the
research conducted, it is known that there are a
number of obstacles for teachers to be able to be more
fully involved in the development of digital literacy
in schools. The main obstacle that arises is related to
the uneven technical skills of teachers. Young
teachers generally claim to have no problems
accessing and using digital technology, while
teachers over the age of 40 admit that they still
experience stuttering in using digital technology,
especially for learning.
Based on the results of this study, it was found that
81.8% of informants said they had never received
training related to digital literacy. Only 18.2% stated
that they had received digital literacy training from
schools. Data about the limited digital literacy
training that teachers receive at school was also
revealed by an informant from SMP Negeri 1
Purwokerto who said that he had learned to make
digital learning media by himself. Meanwhile, an
informant from SMP Negeri 2 Purwokerto stated that
when teachers had to carry out online learning, ICT
teachers in schools provided training to teachers on
the use of digital technology for online learning.
Because of the urgent need, inevitably all teachers
have to learn and adapt, although not all of them can
follow quickly. In addition to participating in training
from schools, teachers also learn from parties outside
the school who offer various trainings, one of which
is from an online learning provider, Ruang Guru.
Another obstacle faced by teachers in developing
digital literacy in schools is the diverse condition of
students. Both in terms of family background,
economy, and their behavior. One informant stated
that the change in the status and admission system of
the International Standard School Design (RSBI) to
the Zoning system also had a significant influence on
the condition of students who became very diverse,
both in terms of academic and socio-economic
abilities. When they were still in RSBI status,
teachers did not experience any difficulties because
as a favorite school, the majority of students were
students with good academic and socio-economic
abilities. However, after the zoning system was
implemented, student conditions could vary with a
fairly large gap.
The very diverse conditions of students require
teachers to adapt to the conditions of students. The
teacher's priority is to ensure that all students can
follow online learning well. As one informant said,
when a student is unable to participate in online
learning, the teacher must come to the student's
house. In such conditions, teachers are often unable
to convey information or other materials outside of
lessons such as the Information and Electronic
Transactions Law (ITE), how to report hoax news,
and so on. On the other hand, in schools that have the
majority of students with good economic abilities, so
that they are not constrained by internet access, the
obstacle faced by teachers is the number of students
who are excessively attached to smartphones or other
digital devices, especially to play online games. At
this point, the difference in the pattern of regulating
Teacher Challenges in Developing Digital Literacy in Schools during the Pandemic Era
77
the use of digital devices at school and at home is also
seen as a separate obstacle for teachers in developing
digital literacy in schools.
4
DISCUSSION
The low involvement of teachers outside of ICT
teachers in digital literacy programs in schools cannot
be separated from the understanding that digital
literacy is only limited to mastering digital
technology. This is not surprising because most
people still understand digital literacy in a narrow
sense just as the ability to operate a computer, access
information from the internet or in other words the
ability to master hardware and software from digital
technology. In fact, if you refer to the statement from
the initiator, namely Paul Gilster (in Shopova, 2014)
he states that one should not consider digital literacy
simply as "a book about how to get around the
Internet". Moreover, the ability to evaluate and
interpret the information is essential. What matters is
that through digital literacy one acquires basic
thinking skills and core competences without which
he could not orientate and perform tasks in an
interactive environment.
On the other hand, based on research results, it is
known that teachers have not been able to involve and
develop digital literacy which is not just technical
mastery. Eshet in Yustika & Iswati (2020)
emphasizes that digital literacy should be more than
the ability to utilize various digital sources effectively,
but rather a broader concept. Digital literacy is also
described as a form of certain ways of thinking (multi
construct hypothesis) in utilizing the digital world.
Thus, interaction in digital media does not only
require technical ability to access technology but also
understands the content, active and interactive
functions of producing messages (Yustika & Iswati,
2020).
As stated by the informants, the development of
digital literacy in schools cannot be carried out until
the stage of digital literacy in a broad sense, until it
meets the eight criteria as stated by Baran (2010) that
digital literacy should include:
1. A critical thinking skill enabling audience
members to develop independent judgments about
media content
2. An understanding of the process of mass
communication
3. An awareness of the impact of the media o the
individual and society
4. Strategies for analyzing and discussing media
messages
5. An understanding of media content as a text that
provides insight into our culture and our lives.
6. The ability to enjoy, understand, and appreciate
media content
7. Development of effective and responsible
production skills
8. An understanding of the ethical and moral
obligations of media practitioners.
However, even though it is not perfect, and has
not called it a form of implementing digital literacy
education, teachers have actually tried to implement
the digital literacy criteria through various efforts. In
addition to trying to learn to use digital technology
and producing digital content, especially for learning,
the teacher also always reminds students of the
negative impact of media content, conveys that
students are not easily believed by various mass
media shows, invites students to discuss through
halaqah activities at school so that students can
control and regulate the use of their gadgets. In
schools that have students with high access to digital
media, such as at SMPIT Al Irsyad and SMP Kristen,
teachers have also begun to invite students to develop
awareness of the impact of the media to the individual
and society. If it is elaborated, then one of the few
aspects that are still not mastered by the teacher so
that the transfer of knowledge to students has not been
carried out is the teacher's understanding of the
production process in mass media and the
understanding of the ethical and moral aspects of
media workers.
Although there are a small number of teachers
who have started to develop digital literacy which is
in line with Silverblat and Baran's concept of digital
literacy, the pandemic conditions that force digital
transformation in schools very quickly, have made
most teachers, especially those from the age group
over 40 years old, still experience stuttering in their
classrooms adapt to these very fast changes. Digital
technology replaces the entire learning process at a
time when teachers and students are not really ready
to migrate. As a result, in most schools, the focus of
attention on developing digital literacy in schools is
still more focused on efforts to master technology and
its use to support the learning process in the
classroom.
The attention of teachers in schools who are more
preoccupied with trying to get students to access
learning through digital media, actually doesn't just
happen during the pandemic. Previous research
(Setiansah & Novianti, et.al., 2021) which revealed
the fact that students are not familiar with the concept
of digital literacy in a broad sense shows that the
AICOSH 2021 - The Annual International Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities (AICOSH) “Life After Pandemic: Perspectives,
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priority of teachers in schools is more aimed at
encouraging students to be digitally literate in the
context of mastering technology. Related to this,
Borthwick and Hansen (in Falloon, 2020) say that
traditional approaches to developing digital
capabilities in teacher education have focused on
promoting students' 'digital literacy'. Digital literacy
is a set of skills to access the internet, find, manage and
edit digital information; join in communications, and
otherwise engage with an online information and
communication network.
The process of developing digital literacy in
schools which is more focused on increasing students'
access and understanding of learning materials is
certainly a natural thing considering that the school's
core business is in the field of education. So do not be
surprised if various studies on online learning during
the pandemic reveal many obstacles such as the
presence of students who do not have a device,
problems with internet connections, so they have to
borrow their parents' smartphone so that parents can
only accompany them at night because during the day
they must (Anugrahana, 2020).
However, it should be noted that the success of
online learning does not depend solely on the problem
of access or solely because of problems with
ownership of the device or internet connection. A
number of cultural constraints as found in this study
should still be a concern for teachers. The c u l t u r a l
constraint in question is about the behavior of using
digital media. It was revealed from one of the
informants in this study who said that in his school
students relatively did not face obstacles in terms of
internet access. Students receive sufficient facilities
from their parents, both in terms of equipment
ownership and quota. However, this does not
guarantee the formation of good digital literacy in
students. In the condition that all facilities are met, the
challenge arises from the behavior of using online
games by students which is difficult to control. The
pandemic period that limits students' activities outside
the home and also limits students physically and
socially from their friends makes online games and
the use of smartphones in general become students'
escape to connect them with the world outside their
homes. When students forget the time in using their
smartphones, it can be said that they have high access
skills, but do not have adequate digital literacy.
The junior high school students faced by the
teachers who became informants in this study were
teenagers who generally had not been able to control
themselves well. According to Latifa, Setiyawan,
Subchi, Nahartini & Durachman (2018) teenagers are
generally less able to control themselves in playing
online games due to the growing adolescent period,
the search for identity, and the difficulty in
interpersonal relationships. While on the other hand,
teenagers feel that it is easier to develop a close
relationship with others in the virtual world than to
communicate directly in the real world. In these
conditions, the ability to self- control and also
mentoring from parents becomes important as
expected by one of the teachers who face obstacles
like this. Engels, & Finkenaur (in Latifa & Setiyawan,
et.al, 2018) say that the parenting pattern affects the
level of child self-control. Other results show that
families who apply authoritative parenting will make
children have a high level of self-control, while
children who reject authoritarian parenting make the
child has a low level of self-control. Other research
indicates that ineffective parenting will tend to
produce low self-control. In other words, poor
parenting will have an impact on low self- control and
will directly lead to deviations in child behavior,
including game addict.
Therefore, once again, digital literacy in schools,
teachers should no longer only focus on how to
encourage students to be able to access and understand
learning materials directly but also strive for students
to have a broader, creative way of thinking, able to
develop a culture of digital media that is can further
increase the benefits of digital media for themselves
and their environment and understand ethics in the
use of digital media itself.
5
CONCLUSIONS
The involvement of teachers in the development of
digital literacy in schools during the pandemic still
faces various challenges related to themselves and
aspects from outside themselves. The challenge
related to the teachers themselves is the inequality of
mastery of digital technology they have. This is due
to the availability of training and the ability to follow
changes that teachers do not have equally. Another
challenge is the diversity of conditions students face,
both economically, socially, and culturally using
digital technology, so teachers must take various
ways to ensure students can access and use digital
technology wisely. Apart from the challenges that
arise from within and outside the teacher, the biggest
challenge for teachers in developing digital literacy in
schools is to equalize the perception that digital
literacy is not only about mastering technology but
also concerning emotional, sociological and critical
thinking skills so that students and teachers can
participate as leaders. digital citizens to the fullest.
Teacher Challenges in Developing Digital Literacy in Schools during the Pandemic Era
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to the Head of the Banyumas Regency
Education and Culture Office and his staff who have
assisted in gathering informants and organizing focus
group discussions. Thank you to the Guidance and
Counselling teachers in the City of Purwokerto for
being willing to become informants in this research.
And to the Research Institute and Community
Services (LPPM) of Jenderal Sudirman University
which has provided research facilitation and funding
through the Unsoed Basic Research Scheme in 2021.
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