Date of Award
5-11-2025
Date Published
June 2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Reading and Language Arts
Advisor(s)
Bong Gee Jang
Keywords
Digital literacy;Digital reading;PISA;QuantCrit;Race;Scoping review
Subject Categories
Education
Abstract
In an increasingly digital world, navigating, evaluating, and comprehending online texts is essential for academic success and lifelong learning. My dissertation explores digital reading and practice through two interconnected studies: a scoping review of digital reading research using PISA data and an empirical investigation of racial disparities in digital reading achievement among U.S. adolescents. The first study conducts a scoping literature review of peer-reviewed research (2009–2023) on digital reading within PISA studies, examining conceptualizations, methodologies, and regional variations. Using four databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, Education Source, Web of Science), the review identifies global trends in digital reading research, highlighting how scholars define and measure digital reading. Findings explored that digital reading is conceptualized as a multifaceted skill integrating ICT literacy, critical evaluation, and hypertext navigation. Variations in definitions across countries underscore digital reading's complex, evolving nature as a core educational competency. The second study investigates the racial disparities in digital reading achievement among Black and White U.S. adolescents using PISA 2018 data. Grounded in QuantCrit and Digital Literacy frameworks, the study examines how socioeconomic status (SES), gender, reading motivation, metacognitive strategies, ICT access (home and school), reading self-concept, and teacher encouragement shape students' digital reading achievement. My second study examines the underlying factors that influence digital reading achievement among U.S. adolescents, focusing specifically on racial differences and structural inequalities, using data from the PISA 2018 dataset with multiple regression analyses. The findings show that Black students scored lower, even when controlling for key predictors. My second study highlights the systemic barriers that limit Black students’ digital reading achievement, the disparate effects of SES, and the unequal role of motivation and teacher incentives across racial groups. The findings highlight that simply having access to technology or owning technological devices is not enough and that addressing structural inequities in digital literacy education is crucial. However, it has been revealed that students must use technology to some extent. Neither prolonged exposure to technological devices nor complete lack of access to these devices is appropriate. In conclusion, my dissertation contributes to a deeper understanding of digital reading in global education assessments and the factors that shape adolescents' digital reading achievement in the United States. My dissertation highlights the need for structured digital literacy integration and equity-focused policies to close the racial gap in digital reading achievement.
Access
Open Access
Recommended Citation
Kizil, Ibrahim, "EXPLORING DIGITAL READING THROUGH PISA DATA: GLOBAL TRENDS AND RACIAL DISPARITIES" (2025). Dissertations - ALL. 2099.
https://surface.syr.edu/etd/2099
