Media and Information Literacy Repository – South Asia

The article investigates the relationship between media and television literacy and critical thinking among prospective teachers. It emphasizes that teachers play an important role in helping students develop media literacy and critical thinking skills, so it is essential that these competencies be cultivated during pre-service teacher education.

Teacher educators, teachers, and K-12 learners today are immersed in multiple media environments, some of which are beset with dangerous information and deliberate falsehoods. In the age of misinformation and disinformation, critical media literacy must become an essential dimension of teacher education. Current and future teachers need to develop critical media literacy skills to think deeply and critically about the media they use for teaching (e.g., YouTube videos, websites, podcasts, books) and the media they and their students are exposed to on a regular basis (e.g., social media, news, TV, movies), and then begin envisioning how they will support students in becoming critical readers, viewers, and listeners of the media they interact with daily. In this article, we will discuss the role that teacher education plays in generating a more media literate society that is able to respond to and prevent crises of disinformation that threaten democracy and social justice.

This paper describes teachers’ perceptions of their ICT and media competencies, and the importance they assign to these competencies in teacher training. A questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument based on UNESCO’s proposals on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) and MIL (Media and Information Literacy). A total of 402 teachers and pre-service teachers participated in the questionnaire. This is an exploratory cross-sectional study employing quantitative descriptive and correlational methodology. Findings reveal that the self-perceived competence of teachers is low and that the self-perceived level is consistently lower than the importance given to the corresponding competence. Greater importance is assigned to MIL competencies than to ICT competencies, which questions the tendency to prioritize technological and didactic training over media education training. The study concludes with the need for a paradigm shift towards convergence in teacher training policies for the digital age, and proposes a global model of teacher competencies in media and ICT (COMPROMETIC) that integrates MIL competencies with those of ICT teachers. The model is based on a double convergence: that of different literacies, and that of the resulting multi-literacy with the specific training of education professionals in ICT and media.

This curriculum offers 10 lesson plans that cover some of the major themes of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in the digital era. The lesson plans are written as a teaching guide and combine core knowledge content with ‘MILAB’ activities that enable educators to explore further how to incorporate MIL in the classroom. The curriculum is student‑centred and project‑based, encouraging critical thinking skills through Analyse/Interpret/React (AIR). It uses SavoirDevenir’s ‘7Cs’ competences linked to human rights values such as freedom of expression, dignity, privacy, participation, and education.

Media and Information Literacy (MIL) is essential for navigating information as technology continues to grow. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching and learning were implemented through online platforms, requiring academicians and students to be equipped with media and information literacy. In the digital age, where business success depends on staff performance, MIL integration is crucial. MIL empowers people to be curious, to search, to critically evaluate, to use, and to contribute information and media content wisely. It also calls for competence in knowing one’s rights online, combating online hate speech and cyberbullying, addressing misinformation and disinformation, and understanding the ethical issues surrounding access and use of information. Academic personnel require knowledge, skills, and psychological capacity to teach, research, and serve the community. These age-, gender-, socio-religious-, educational-, and literacy-diverse individuals behave differently. This study proposes the moderating role of socio-demographic factors between MIL and individual work performance to improve academic staff capabilities and service delivery.

Through in-depth interviews with junior high school teachers in Hong Kong who participated in a media and artificial intelligence literacy program intervention, this research highlights the importance of prioritizing values and ethics education over technical proficiency when incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into media literacy training. While quantitatively assessing students’ literacy levels posed challenges, future media literacy programs should concentrate on introducing technological terminology and concepts, promoting awareness of potential issues, instilling values for responsible technology use, and fostering empathy to create a harmonious online environment. By focusing on fundamental values and key concepts rather than following fleeting AI trends, educators can empower students to navigate the digital media landscape effectively. Introducing such education among junior high school students, potentially involving parental education, is crucial for nurturing well-rounded digital citizens. The discussion thoroughly explores implications and recommendations for media literacy education programs, specifically in an AI era.

In the digital age, online teacher professional development (TPD) has become a key strategy for enhancing instructional quality and ensuring equitable access to continuous learning. This research compares and analyzes Chinese online teacher professional development (TPD) with the United States over a period of ten years, from 2014 to 2024. This study uses a mixed-methods approach based on policy documents, structured surveys, and interviews to investigate how governance regimes influence TPD outcomes for fair education. Both countries experienced a massive expansion of web-based TPD access and engagement, with participation rates over 75% and effectiveness scores over 4.3 by 2024. China focused on fast scaling by way of centralized mandates and investments in infrastructure, while the United States emphasized gradual expansion through decentralized, locally appropriate models. Most indicators had converged by the end of the period, even with these different approaches. Yet, qualitative evidence reveals persisting gaps in functional access and contextual appropriateness, especially in rural settings. Equality frameworks with attention to teacher agency, policy implementation, and digital usability must supplant weak access metrics. A hybrid paradigm presents itself as an attractive means toward building equitable and productive digital TPD environments through the symbiotic integration of China’s successful scalability and the United States’ professional autonomy.

The implementation of new curricula presents significant challenges for teachers and necessitates the adaptation of their professional competencies. This study examines how the digital skills of Swiss teachers differ during and after the implementation of the Media and Information Literacy (MIL) modular curriculum. To achieve this, two independent samples totaling 617 teachers were surveyed at different stages of the reform. The analysis employed a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to identify differences in the four facets of MIL competence between the samples. The results indicate that MIL competencies did not improve uniformly. While no significant differences were found in the facets of ‘ICT knowledge and application’ and ‘media education knowledge and application’, significant differences were observed in the facets of ‘specialized didactics MIL’ and ‘interdisciplinary pedagogical and didactic knowledge’. The latter facet showed higher values after the reform, likely due to increased exposure to further training measures. These findings illustrate that teachers’ competencies can develop differently throughout a reform process, highlighting the importance of targeted professional development programs. The study provides valuable empirical findings for educational research and offers practical implications for the design of future reform processes.

This study explores the application of constructivist principles in the development of digital media literacy within higher education. Constructivism and digital media literacy share foundational elements, including active participation, critical thinking, contextual learning environments, and social collaboration. This research employs a qualitative approach through a literature review. Publications from 2014 to 2024 were selected based on their relevance to constructivist learning theory and digital media literacy, resulting in four core sources analyzed. The findings demonstrated that constructivist principles significantly contribute to the enhancement of digital media literacy skills, particularly in the areas of content creation, information management, digital publishing, and critical engagement. These competencies are essential for fostering independent, reflective, and responsible learners. The study concludes that constructivist-based approaches are vital for effectively integrating digital media literacy into higher education. To support this integration, it is recommended that universities embed digital media literacy into curricular frameworks and provide additional resources such as training programs through university libraries. These libraries, as central information hubs, can play a pivotal role in supporting students’ digital literacy development and promoting lifelong learning.

Media and information literacy (MIL) is gaining academic attention due to media technology advancements and evolving communication, with pre-service teachers (PTs) playing a crucial role in preparing future citizens. This systematic review examined 40 articles focusing on PTs to identify their theoretical characteristics and methodological patterns. The methodology follows the PRISMA statement and covers research from 2013 to 2024. All of these selected papers are evaluated using a quality assessment tool, Quality Assessment Tool for papers with Diverse Designs (QATSDD). The review identifies a regional concentration of PTs’ MIL research in Europe and Asia. This demonstrates how regional settings and national policies have a significant impact on MIL research, as do differences in terminology usage and conceptual understanding. However, aspects of PTs’ MIL that support teaching practices remain underexplored in the existing literature, indicating a critical gap in preparing PTs for their roles as educators. Concerns regarding the credibility of results are further raised by the extensive use of self-reported assessments. Furthermore, because they have a big impact on PTs' MIL abilities, demographic factors including gender and regional discrepancies need constant monitoring. The findings highlight the need to integrate MIL into teacher education to enhance teaching competencies and address regional and demographic disparities, ensuring preservice teachers are equipped for modern educational demands.

The article presents a systematic literature review of 28 studies (2010–2018) examining data literacy in K–12 education, particularly for teachers and school leaders. It finds that while the concept of data literacy has become more clearly articulated over time, there is still disagreement about its precise scope and components. The review shows that teacher education programs tend to emphasize assessment literacy rather than broader data competencies. Based on the findings, the authors recommend skill-focused preparation programs, collaborative learning opportunities, modeling the use of both quantitative and qualitative data, and greater attention to technology and Big Data.

Sangmun Lee is from South-Korea, where he spent most of his life. When he was young he didn't notice how dangerous electronic devices and internet technology can be, but he finally encountered the truth. He thinks that this problem should be solved in some way or people are going to become slaves to technology. He thought about what part of technology made itself so toxic to us, and the reasons why we are so hooked on tech.

Effective media education requires that teachers have sufficient media literacy competencies as well as the competencies to promote media literacy in students. This article describes the development of a questionnaire to measure these competencies individually or as a team. The questionnaire was developed in five stages. A systematic and critical listing of existing inventories resulted in a preliminary questionnaire. In the final stage, the questionnaire was submitted to a representative sample of 454 teachers and 219 student teachers, and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted. The results show that the questionnaire is sufficiently valid and reliable.

In the age of digitalization, Digital and Media Literacy (DML) has gained increasing attention in European compul sory education, blending insights and experiences from the media education and digital literacy domains. Teacher education, starting from pre-service education, is central for the actual integration of DML education in classroom practice. This article discusses the case study of a two-credit introductory course to DML education for pre-service pre-primary and primary school teachers in Switzerland. The course, partially co-designed with its participants, intentionally explored many topics (as opposed to the in-depth analysis of a few) and focused on hands-on experi mentation and reflection. The data collected with a pre/post survey and follow-up interviews offer insights on the evolution of pre-service teachers’ approach to DML, on their perceived role as teachers in this domain, on self efficacy, and on potential enablers and obstacles to implementing DML activities in class. The case study suggests that, despite the limited space in the curriculum and resources available, even a short course can make a difference and enable teachers to integrate DML in their profession

Findings from research on the education of teachers show that student teachers lack competence in the utilization of digital media and often fail to see the added value in using digital concepts in classrooms. Teacher training institutions are faced with the central challenge of providing student teachers and teachers with adaptive learning opportunities for their competence in digital areas. In the context of various teaching subjects, this raises questions about specific starting points and the actual needs of students, as well as university course offerings. The present study tackles this topic and explores the commonalities and differences between student teachers from three subject clusters: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); language literature arts (LLA); and social sciences (SOCS). The questionnaire-based study examines student teachers’ self- assessments of their abilities in terms of digital media, attitudes, and motivational orientations towards the use of digital media in teaching. Group comparisons show that STEM student teachers rate themselves better in competence facets such as technological knowledge, technological content knowledge, and technological pedagogical knowledge, although their attitudes and motivation towards learning with digital media do not differ. Despite the different interrelation effects of investigated influencing factors on motivation depending on subject clusters, the f indings suggest the promotion of technological competencies and positive attitudes to increase motivation.

Although we live in a global society, educators face many challenges in finding meaningful ways to connect students to people of other cultures. This paper offers a case study of a collaboration between teachers in the US and Turkey, where 7th grade students interacted with each other via online social media as a means to promote cultural understanding. In a close analysis of a single learning activity, we found that children had opportunities to share ideas informally through social media, using their digital voices to share meaning using online writing, posting of images and hyperlinks. This study found that students valued the opportunity to develop relationships with each other and generally engaged in sharing their common interests in Hollywood movies, actors, celebrities, videogames and television shows. However, not all teachers valued the use of popular culture as a means to find common ground. Indeed, teachers had widely differing perspectives of the value of this activity. Through informal communication about popular culture in a “Getting to Know You” activity, students themselves discovered that their common ground knowledge tended to be US centric, as American students lacked access to Turkish popular culture. However, the learning activity enabled students themselves to recognize asymmetrical power dynamics that exist in global media culture, where information and entertainment flows are primarily one-way in nature and perceptions about the value of popular culture are contested.

The article argues for the urgent inclusion of critical media literacy in K–12 and teacher education curricula in response to the realities of the information era. It defines critical media literacy as understanding how corporate, profit-driven media operate through political and economic interests, supporting alternative nonprofit media, and empowering teachers to guide students and parents in media analysis.