Internet Search Dependence and Digital Competence of Elementary Education Students: A Convergent Design

The research examined the relationship between digital competence (DC) and internet search dependence (ISD) of Elementary Education students in a higher education institution in the Philippines. As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in academic tasks, digital competence becomes critical in instilling responsible and effective use of online resources. This study evaluated three dimensions of digital competence, including problem-solving, analysis and reflection, and safety and security. In accordance with the study's purpose digital competence and internet search dependence were analyzed for this study. Internet search dependence was analyzed on the basis of habitual internet use, withdrawal behaviour, and level of trust in search results. This study employed a convergent-parallel mixed-method research design, with the inclusion and collection of quantitative data from 166 students chosen via stratified sampling, and qualitative perspectives from interviews and focus group discussions with 14 participants. The findings examined revealed high rating for both digital competence and internet search dependence. Moreover, a significant positive correlation between digital competence and internet search dependence (r = .609, p = .000) demonstrated that students who were more digitally competent demonstrated more purposeful and focused search behaviour. While quantitative findings revealed positive correlations between internet search dependence and digital competence, the qualitative data supported these quantitative findings further and shows how students' digital skills shape students' engagement online. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for educators on how CC can be integrated in curriculum design and instruction as a way to better scaffold digital literacy and transform students' information searching behaviours.