Critical Digital Literacy in Chilean Secondary Education: Curriculum and Teachers' Perceptions

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital technologies and the saturation of online information have transformed the ways individuals read, write, and participate in contemporary societies. These changes highlight the need to develop Critical Digital Literacy (CDL), which is understood as the ability to access, evaluate, interpret, and produce digital information ethically and reflectively, while recognizing ideological influences and algorithmic dynamics. In Chile, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed substantial gaps in students' digital skills, along with persistent inequalities in school infrastructure and connectivity. In this context, the present study examined (1) the extent to which CDL is explicitly and systematically incorporated into the Language and Literature curriculum for grades 9 to 12 and (2) teachers' perceptions of their preparedness, pedagogical strategies, and implementation challenges.

The study employed a mixed-methods, exploratory, and descriptive design, grounded in a sociocritical approach that conceives education as a situated process oriented toward social transformation. The documentary corpus consisted of the four official Language and Literature Study Programs, which were segmented into learning objectives, suggested activities, and evaluation guidelines. Based on 62 documents, a deductive coding scheme was applied, drawing on internationally recognized frameworks such as DigComp and UNESCO's models. Quantitative analysis included frequencies, percentages, and chi-square tests to identify differences across grade levels and curricular components. In parallel, a digital survey was administered to 30 teachers in the Biobío Region. Closed-ended responses were analyzed descriptively, while open-ended responses were inductively coded using ATLAS.ti. Triangulation integrated documentary, quantitative, and qualitative findings.

The results show that CDL is incorporated in a fragmented and uneven manner within the curriculum. While certain elements related to the analysis and evaluation of digital information appear in suggested activities, essential dimensions, such as collaborative participation in digital environments, online information verification, multimodal and reflective production, and ethical-citizenship competencies, receive only marginal attention. CDL is concentrated in the activities section, is less present in the learning objectives, and appears minimally in the evaluation guidelines, indicating an inconsistent curricular progression. Teachers' perceptions reinforce this diagnosis: participants reported limited preparation, insufficient institutional support, scarce training opportunities, and persistent technological constraints. At the same time, teachers highlight the need for clearer guidance on multimodality, verification, algorithmic analysis, and ethical digital behavior. Although some innovative practices were described, these remain isolated due to curricular and material limitations.

The study concludes that a significant gap exists between the prescribed curriculum and educational practice regarding CDL in Chilean secondary education. Strengthening CDL requires making curricular progressions explicit, incorporating authentic multimodal tasks into assessment practices and improving teacher training in technical, critical, ethical, and civic dimensions. Together, the findings underscore the need for systemic policies that position CDL as an essential component of democratic and equitable education in a post-digital society.