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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher">BJCR</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title xml:lang="en">British Journal of Contemporary Research</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title xml:lang="en">BJCR</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn>2979-8582</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Bexford Publishing Ltd</publisher-name>
        <publisher-loc><uri>https://bexfordpublishing.co.uk</uri></publisher-loc>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">BEX_AUG_26_259</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.67693/BJCR-DBDW2B7P</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group xml:lang="en" subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Original Research Article</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title xml:lang="en">Digital Citizenship Education and Democratic Participation among University Students: The Mediating Role of Digital Civic Engagement</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group content-type="author">
      <contrib corresp="yes">
        <name-alternatives>
          <name name-style="western" specific-use="primary">
            <given-names>Kolawole Tolani Damilola</given-names>
          </name>
        </name-alternatives>
        <email>kolawoletd@fceiwo.edu.ng</email>
        <bio xml:lang="en"><p>Department of General Studies Education, Federal College of Education, Iwo, Nigeria</p></bio>
      </contrib>
      <contrib>
        <name-alternatives>
          <name name-style="western" specific-use="primary">
            <given-names>Prof. Benjamin Adeniran Aluko</given-names>
          </name>
        </name-alternatives>
        <email>niranaluko2@yahoo.com</email>
        <bio xml:lang="en"><p>Department of Peace Security and Humanitarian Studies</p></bio>
      </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="epub">
        <day>10</day>
        <month>09</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>1</volume>
      <issue>4</issue>
      
      
      <pub-history>
        <event event-type="received">
          <event-desc>Received: <date date-type="received">
            <day>31</day>
            <month>08</month>
            <year>2026</year>
          </date></event-desc>
        </event>
        
        <event event-type="accepted">
          <event-desc>Accepted: <date date-type="accepted">
            <day>05</day>
            <month>09</month>
            <year>2026</year>
          </date></event-desc>
        </event>
      </pub-history>
      <permissions>
        <copyright-statement>Copyright (c) 2026 Kolawole Tolani Damilola</copyright-statement>
        <copyright-year>2026</copyright-year>
        <license xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0">
          <license-p>This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <abstract><p>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. Measurement model showed acceptable internal consistency reliability and convergent validity with composite reliability values &gt; 0.85 and average variance extracted values &gt; 0.50. Structural results revealed significant positive relationships between DCE and DP (β = 0.284, p &lt; .001), DCE and DCEng (β = 0.582, p &lt; .001), and DCEng and DP (β = 0.435, p &lt; .001). DCE also mediated the effect of DP through DCEng, which was significant (β = 0.253, 95% CI [0.198, 0.312], p &lt; .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.
Keywords: Digital Citizenship Education; Digital Civic Engagement; Democratic Participation; Digital Literacy; Higher Education; PLS-SEM; University Students.</p></abstract>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
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</article>