The role of character education and social media literacy in strengthening national resilience among Generation Z in Timor-Leste
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Amidst globalization and digital disruption, a nation's resilience is tested, especially among Generation Z. This study aims to analyze the role of character education and social media literacy in strengthening national resilience among Generation Z in Timor-Leste. A quantitative survey with a cross-sectional design was employed with 256 high school students (Generation Z) in Dili, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Character Values Scale, Social Media Literacy Scale, and National Resilience Scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. The findings indicate that both character education (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) and social media literacy (r = 0.13, p < 0.05) have a significant positive relationship with national resilience. However, in a joint regression model that explained 4.7% of the variance in national resilience (F (2,253) = 7.32, p < 0.01), character education emerged as the sole significant predictor (β = 0.23, p = .001). The implication for the field of education is the critical importance of prioritizing a strong character-based curriculum, complemented by digital media literacy, within the national education system to fortify the younger generation against ideological threats.
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
References
Albrow, M., Eade, J., Washbourne, N., & Durrschmidt, J. (1994). The impact of globalization on sociological concepts: Community, culture and milieu. Innovation: The European Journal of Social Science Research, 7(4), 371–389. https://doi.org/10.1080/13511610.1994.9968418
Alcolea-Díaz, G., Reig, R., & Mancinas-Chávez, R. (2020). UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy curriculum for teachers from the perspective of Structural Considerations of Information. Comunicar, 28(62), 103–114. https://doi.org/10.3916/c62-2020-09
Allison, M. (2010). Review: Digital and Media Literacy: A Plan of Action (2010). Journal of Media Literacy Education. https://doi.org/10.23860/jmle-2-3-7
Bandura, A. (2003). Social cognitive theory for personal and social change by enabling media. In Entertainment-education and social change (1st ed., pp. 97–118). Routledge.
Ben-Porath, S. (2007). Civic virtue out of necessity. Theory and Research in Education, 5(1), 41–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477878507073608
Benkler, Y., Faris, R., & Roberts, H. (2018). The Origins of Asymmetry. In Network Propaganda (pp. 311–340). Oxford University PressNew York. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190923624.003.0011
Cao, Q., An, J., Yang, Y., Peng, P., Xu, S., Xu, X., & Xiang, H. (2020). Correlation among psychological resilience, loneliness, and internet addiction among left-behind children in China: A cross-sectional study. Current Psychology, 41(7), 4566–4573. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00970-3
Cho, Hyunyi, Cannon, Julie, Lopez, Rachel, & Li, Wenbo. (2022). Social media literacy: A conceptual framework. New Media & Society, 26(2), 941–960. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211068530
Cohen, P., Cohen, P., West, S. G., & Aiken, L. S. (2014). Applied Multiple Regression/Correlation Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Psychology Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410606266
Creswell, J.W.; Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Foster, C. L. E. (2022). Truth as social practice in a digital era: iteration as persuasion. AI & SOCIETY, 38(5), 2009–2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01306-w
Grizzle, A. (2023). 9 Aptitudes and 7 excellences of media and information literacy for public good: A purpose-driven and critical feflection. In Media and information literacy for the public good: UNESCO MILID Yearbook 2023 (pp. 23–48). Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios - UNIMINUTO. https://doi.org/10.26620/uniminuto/978-958-763-705-2.cap.2
Halili, A. (2023). Non-Traditional Security Threats and NATO’s Response in the Contemporary Security Environment. SEEU Review, 18(2), 148–165. https://doi.org/10.2478/seeur-2023-0095
Kahne, J., & Bowyer, B. (2016). Educating for Democracy in a Partisan Age. American Educational Research Journal, 54(1), 3–34. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831216679817
Kohlberg, L., & Power, C. (1981). Moral Development, Religious Thinking, and The Question Of A Seventh Stage. Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science, 16(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9744.1981.tb00417.x
Kosterman, R., & Feshbach, S. (1989). Toward a Measure of Patriotic and Nationalistic Attitudes. Political Psychology, 10(2), 257. https://doi.org/10.2307/3791647
Lickona, T. (1996). Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education. Journal of Moral Education, 25(1), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305724960250110
Livingstone, S. (2004). Media Literacy and the Challenge of New Information and Communication Technologies. The Communication Review, 7(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714420490280152
Milkman, R. (2017). A New Political Generation: Millennials and the Post-2008 Wave of Protest. American Sociological Review, 82(1), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122416681031
Modgil, S., Singh, R. K., Gupta, S., & Dennehy, D. (2021). A Confirmation Bias View on Social Media Induced Polarisation During Covid-19. Information Systems Frontiers, 26(2), 417–441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10222-9
Nye, J. S. (2004). Power in the global information age: From realism to globalization. Routledge.
Panagiotou, N., Lazou, C., & Baliou, A. (2022). Generation Z: Media Consumption and Mil. İmgelem, 6(11), 455–476. https://doi.org/10.53791/imgelem.1187245
Paulhus, D. (1991). Measurement and Control of Response Bias. Measurement of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes, 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-590241-0.50006-X
Pérez-Escoda, A., Pedrero-Esteban, L. M., Rubio-Romero, J., & Jiménez-Narros, C. (2021). Fake News Reaching Young People on Social Networks: Distrust Challenging Media Literacy. Publications, 9(2), 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications9020024
Peterson, C.; Seligman, M. E. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: a handbook and classification. Choice Reviews Online, 42(01), 42–624. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.42-0624
Prensky, M. (2012). From Digital Natives to Digital Wisdom: Hopeful Essays for 21st Century Learning. Corwin Press. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483387765
Roblek, V., Mesko, M., Dimovski, V., & Peterlin, J. (2019). Smart technologies as social innovation and complex social issues of the Z generation. Kybernetes, 48(1), 91–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/k-09-2017-0356
Schober, P., Boer, C., & Schwarte, L. A. (2018). Correlation Coefficients: Appropriate Use and Interpretation. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 126(5), 1763–1768. https://doi.org/10.1213/ane.0000000000002864
Skidmore, D. (1999). Security: A New Framework for Analysis. By Barry Buzan, Ole Weaver, and Jaap de Wilde. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 1998. 239p. $55.00 cloth, $19.95 paper. American Political Science Review, 93(4), 1010–1011. https://doi.org/10.2307/2586187
Stead, V. (2015). Homeland, territory, property: Contesting land, state, and nation in urban Timor-Leste. Political Geography, 45, 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2014.05.002
Sunstein, C. R. (2017). Deliberative Trouble? Why Groups Go to Extremes. In Multi-Party Dispute Resolution, Democracy and Decision-Making (pp. 65–95). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315248592-4
Tolstenko, A., Baltovskij, L., & Radikov, I. (2019). Chance of Civic Education in Russia. Sage Open, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019859684
Twenge, J. M., & Park, H. (2017). The Decline in Adult Activities Among U.S. Adolescents, 1976–2016. Child Development, 90(2), 638–654. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12930
Wardle, C., & Derakhshan, H. (2017). Information disorder: Toward an interdisciplinary framework for research and policy making / Reports / Publications / Media Freedom in Europe - Resource Centre by OBCT - Resource Centre. Information Disorder: Toward an Interdisciplinary Framework for Research and Policy Making, 20–25. https://rm.coe.int/information-disorder-report-november-2017/1680764666?ct=t()
Westheimer, J., & Kahne, J. (2004). What Kind of Citizen? The Politics of Educating for Democracy. American Educational Research Journal, 41(2), 237–269. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312041002237