Five primary-school principals in Gauteng described digital citizenship as much more than knowing how to operate devices.
Their accounts placed online judgement, ethics and safety alongside technical competence.
What researchers studied
Researchers from the University of Johannesburg explored how school leaders understand digital citizenship and what they believe schools should do to cultivate it.
The research involved five public primary schools in the Tshwane South Education District.
One principal from each school participated in a facilitated workshop.
Each supplied individual open-ended responses through Slido before a group discussion.
The researchers used reflexive thematic analysis to examine themes within and across the five cases.
This was a qualitative multiple-case study, designed to understand perspectives rather than estimate how widespread particular views are among South African principals.
It did not measure pupils’ online behaviour or test an intervention.
What they found
Principals discussed digital citizenship in terms of respectful conduct, responsible participation, online safety, digital identity, critical judgement and, in some accounts, digital literacy.
Their emphasis went beyond access to technology and basic computer proficiency.
They also viewed schools as responsible for building a supportive environment.
Proposed responsibilities included school policies, staff development, everyday teaching practices, collaboration with families and other stakeholders, and sometimes improved access to devices or connectivity.
The relative emphasis differed between principals.
The authors noted a correspondence within participants’ accounts between the dimensions of digital citizenship they highlighted and the responsibilities they assigned to schools.
That pattern should not be interpreted as proof that stated beliefs determine what schools actually do.
What it means
For school leaders, the findings suggest digital citizenship planning should address conduct and participation as well as technical instruction. A school can teach children to use digital platforms without necessarily teaching them to evaluate information, manage identity or treat others responsibly.
The study also points to leadership questions: who maintains online-safety policies, who trains educators, and how are families involved?
These questions are particularly relevant where schools have different resources and levels of digital access.
Its value is in clarifying how a small group of leaders frames the issue, rather than prescribing one national curriculum.
Important limitation
The sample comprised only five principals from one Gauteng district, so it cannot represent all South African schools.
Workshop discussions may also have influenced what participants emphasised.
Crucially, the researchers did not observe classroom implementation or establish whether the principals’ preferred approaches improve learner outcomes.
Larger studies incorporating teachers, learners and direct observation would be needed to test those possibilities.
Source Information
Study: Understanding and promoting digital citizenship in primary schools: perspectives of school principals
Authors: Motsekiso Calvin Letuma; Bongani Nhlanhla Cyril Kenneth Mkhize
Journal / Source: Frontiers in Education
Published: 6 November 2026
