Digital Citizenship Practices in Chile: A Measurement Approach for University Students

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Digital Citizenship Scale in Chilean university students, specifically the factorial structure and its reliability, construct validity, and factorial invariance by sex were analyzed. The sample consisted of 905 students whose average age was 22 years, of which 59.7% were women. The methods used were Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The result of the exploratory analysis suggested retaining the 26 items of the original scale grouped into five factors. The results of the confirmatory analysis corroborated the original structure of the scale and specified a model of five correlated factors. The reliability analysis indicated a total ordinal alpha of 0.87. The measurement invariance analysis showed that the degree of equivalence of the instrument by sex was plausible at a strict level. The scale provides guidance for institutional decision-making regarding initiatives focused on digital inclusion and participation. It was concluded that the Digital Citizenship Scale presents adequate psychometric properties for its use in Chilean university students.