Digital Citizenship Education and Democratic Participation among University Students: The Mediating Role of Digital Civic Engagement

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/09/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 4 (2026)

Article No.

074

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-DBDW2B7P

Received

31 Aug 2026

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4

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0

Abstract

As civic and political life becomes increasingly digital, universities must prepare students to acquire the skills that are necessary for meaningful participation in democracy. This study examined the relationships among Digital Citizenship Education (DCE), Digital Civic Engagement (DCEng), and Democratic Participation (DP) among university students, with particular attention to the mediating role of DCEng. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and the data were collected from 430 undergraduate students who were selected using stratified random sampling from three public universities. The proposed relationships were subsequently tested using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method which was carried out with the help of SmartPLS 4. The measurement model showed acceptable internal consistency reliability and convergent validity with composite reliability values > 0.85 and average variance extracted values > 0.50. Structural results revealed significant positive relationships between DCE and DP (β = 0.284, p < .001), DCE and DCEng (β = 0.582, p < .001), and DCEng and DP (β = 0.435, p < .001). DCE also mediated the effect of DP through DCEng, which was significant (β = 0.253, 95% CI [0.198, 0.312], p < .001) and accounted for 47.1% of the total effect, suggesting partial mediation. The results highlight the need to connect digital citizenship education with organized opportunities for civic engagement to turn digital competence into meaningful civic involvement among college students.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.