Digital competence and transition to Secondary: a longitudinal students’ study
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Abstract
Technology plays a key role in the educational transition from primary to secondary school. This longitudinal study analyses the evolution of students' digital competence during this period. A mixed methodological design was followed in three phases: diagnosis and intervention in sixth grade of primary education (pre- and post-intervention application of a questionnaire to assess students' digital competence) and follow-up of students in their transition to secondary education (re-application of the digital competence questionnaire and an educational transition questionnaire, administered in the classroom using focus group dynamics). The results show that the difference between stages does not lie in the number of digital tools used, but in their cognitive function. In primary education, their use is mainly linked to teacher-guided activities aimed at motivation, practice and understanding of specific content. In secondary education, it is aimed towards learning management, including information search, project work, use of virtual platforms and content production. Students move from performing digital tasks to managing a digital learning environment. This transformation explains part of the perceived difficulty in adapting to the secondary stage and suggests the need for explicit work on digital competence during the transition between stages. It is concluded that technological literacy should be approached as a pedagogical progression, starting from guided use.
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