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Social Support and Adolescents' Digital Reading Literacy: The Moderating Role of Information Literacy

Author(s)

Junyao Zhang, Wenyan Zhang*

Affiliation(s)

School of Economics, Management and Law, Changchun Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

Digital reading literacy helps adolescents learn in digital settings, but its social basis is still unclear. Relevant studies of digital reading often treat social support as a single variable, whereas this can hide the different effects of emotional, instrumental, informational, and peer support. In this study, we examined these four forms of support in relation to digital reading literacy among 1,052 middle school students from four county-level schools in Jilin Province, China. We also tested whether information literacy changes these different relationships. Structural equation modelling revealed that the researched four types of support have positive relationship with digital reading literacy. Peer support had the largest direct effect. Information literacy enhances the relationship between instrumental use and digital reading literacy, as well as between peer support and digital reading literacy. These results reveal that students may benefit more from practical and peer support when they can find, assess, and use information in digital context. The study also shows why social support should be examined by different types in county-level schools.

Keywords

Digital Reading Literacy; Information Literacy; Social Support; Middle School Students

References

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