Human-Centred Digital Communication Literacy Among Vocational High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Scenario-Based Judgment

Abstract

Digital literacy extends beyond technical proficiency to encompass ethical awareness, empathy, contextual communication, privacy, and responsible decision-making in digital environments. This study examined human-centred digital communication literacy among vocational high school students through three dimensions: knowledge, self-reported attitudes, and scenario-based judgment. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 154 students using an instrument comprising 10 knowledge questions, 15 four-point Likert-scale attitude statements, and five digital communication scenarios. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, internal-consistency analysis, item-level examination, and Spearman’s rank correlation. The results indicated high knowledge scores (M = 9.77 out of 10) and scenario-based judgment scores (M = 4.93 out of 5), while attitudes toward human-centred digital communication showed greater variation (M = 3.34 out of 4). Knowledge, attitudes, and scenario-based judgment were positively but weakly associated, with Spearman’s coefficients ranging from 0.186 to 0.271. However, 86.4% of the participants achieved the maximum knowledge score, and 94.8% achieved the maximum scenario-based judgment score, indicating substantial ceiling effects. These findings suggest that students demonstrated strong awareness of appropriate digital communication principles, including clarity, empathy, digital ethics, privacy, and responsible artificial intelligence use. Nevertheless, the limited score variation indicates that conventional correct–incorrect questions and relatively straightforward scenarios may be insufficiently sensitive to distinguish different levels of digital communication competence. Digital literacy education should therefore incorporate more complex, context-sensitive, and authentic assessments that evaluate not only what students know and report, but also how they reason through ambiguous digital communication situations.