Uppkopplade men oförberedda? : En kvalitativ studie inom gymnasieelevers uppfattningar kring digital kompetens och grundläggande datorkunskap

Sammanfattning

This study intends to investigate how upper secondary school students percieve digital competence, basic compute literacy and the schools role in devolping these skills. Previous studys has primarly focused on teachers perspective and younger students, while uppert secondary students perceptions have recieved less attention. The study adopts a qualitative research design with a phenomenographic approach and is based on a semi-structured interviews with last year secondary students from both vocational and academic programmes. The theoretical framework is grounded in the sociocultural perspective, particularly concepts of mediation and the zone of proximal development. The findings indicate that students primarly associate digital competence with the practical use of computers, software and digital tools, rather than with the broader definition found in the educational policy documents. Many participants percieve instruction in digital competence and basic computer skills as unclear and fragmented, and report that teachers often assume prior knowledge. As a result, students frequently rely on classmates, self-directed learninf, and AI-based tools for support. While students generally rate their abilities in information searching and source evaluation highly, they express lower confidence in their basic computer skills such as file managment, trouble shooting, and understanding file formats. The study also shows that students view digital competence as essential for future studies, employment, and participation in society. At the same time, some participents express concerns regarding the impact of digitalisation and artificial intelligence on language development, independence and learning. The findings suggest a need for more explicit and structured teaching of basic computer literacy within upper secondary education.