Mid Sweden University

This study aimed to visualize how and when teachers in civics can use digital techniques and tools. A discussion concerning digital literacy took place to clarify the concept. Questions that were investigated include: 

-          How and when can teachers work with digital tools in teaching?

-          How can civics teachers prepare students for digital citizenship? 

-          How is digital literacy perceived among students? 

-          How is digital literacy perceived among teachers? 

Through interviews, data was collected. The results show that civic teachers should prepare students to become responsible citizens who can make reasonable decisions in the future, whether online or in real life. To do so, knowledge is needed about the student's digital literacy. The teachers must constantly update themselves with new technology to vary the workload. Society and the school subject of civics are constantly renewed, and digital tools are becoming more common in Swedish schools. A mixture of analogue and digital tools is in favor of learning outcomes. 

Further, there is a mixed vision of the perceived digital literacy amongst the students. The study revealed that female teachers estimated digital literacy among the students to be higher than men's perception. The result can be related to the teachers' digital interests, whereas men declare their digital interests as good, while women declare their digital interests as limited and necessary. Digital tools can be used in every teaching phase and in different ways to create a variation of lesson planning. AI tools are a relatively new area and need more research.