Effects of Digital Literacy on the Critical Thinking Skills and Academic Performance of Junior High School Students

Abstract

This study determined the effects of digital literacy on the critical thinking skills and academic performance of junior high school students at Tomas Claudio Colleges during School Year 2025–2026. It employed a descriptive survey research design and documentary analysis. The respondents comprised 362 junior high school students, representing 50% of the total population of 721 students, who were selected through simple random sampling. A researcher-made test was used to determine the perceived extent of the effects of digital literacy on students’ critical thinking skills in terms of analytical thinking, evaluative thinking, synthesizing skills, and self-regulation skills, while documentary analysis was employed to determine their academic performance based on their average grades. The findings revealed that most respondents were 12–13 and 14–15 years old, predominantly male, and mostly first- or second-born children. Majority belonged to families with more than two children and reported a monthly family income of ₱20,000 and above. Most parents were college graduates or college undergraduates and were employed or self-employed. The findings further showed that digital literacy had a high effect on the critical thinking skills of the respondents across all four dimensions. No significant differences were found in the perceived effects of digital literacy when respondents were grouped according to age, sex, and sibling position. However, significant differences were observed according to number of children in the family, monthly family income, parents’ educational attainment, and parents’ occupation. The respondents demonstrated a Very Satisfactory level of academic performance. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between the perceived effects of digital literacy on critical thinking skills and students’ academic performance. The study concluded that digital literacy is associated with students’ critical thinking skills and academic performance. It recommended strengthening digital literacy programs, integrating digital technology into instruction, implementing the proposed action plan, and conducting related studies using other variables.