Digital Practices at Home and School: A Case Study Approach

The study illustrates children’s digital practices in the Malaysian context. The 21st century has witnessed an unprecedented expansion of and access to information for people who can use technology. Nowadays, information can be reached in the blink of an eye and is accessible at our fingertips. Since the 1990s, the internet revolution has helped people to search for information through their networked computers, and mobile gadgets have more recently made this even easier as people can carry information in their own pockets. However, this steady increase in internet usage and mobile device ownership, particularly among schoolchildren in Malaysia over the last few years, has been creating fear, anxiety and frustration. Due to a moral panic in Malaysia regarding children’s online safety, to date the majority of the extant studies carried out in Malaysia are focusing on E-Safety instead of seeking a deeper understanding of the current digital practices among Malaysian children. Little research has been conducted to specifically investigate and understand the online experience dimensions of Malaysian children’s lives and social worlds. This descriptive case-study based research explores a small group of Malaysian children’s digital practices and their management in the school (computer lab) and at home, and in both the communal area and personal spaces of the latter. This research examines five 16 year olds’ engagements with online technology across formal and informal settings at school and at home using a mixed methods approach, specifically questionnaires, interviews, observations and focus group discussion. The findings reveal that participating children enjoy online benefits through a range of online activities with the usage of several digital devices. This study also provides insights into the roles and influences of parental, teacher, older siblings and peer mediation in developing children’s digital literacy skills. Furthermore, children’s perceptions of online opportunities and risks, and what kind of learning is involved through their online activities are also analysed and discussed.