An Analysis of Implementation Factors for Digital Badge Adoption in Youth Activities

This study aimed to identify implementation factors for adopting digital badges in youth activities.Participants were youth workers who oversee youth activities and will serve as key practitioners in adopting digital badges.Implementation factors were defined as expected benefits, concerns, and support needs that influence adoption.To derive the priorities among subfactors within each domain as well as specific action plans, a sequential mixed-methods design combining the AHP(Analytic Hierarchy Process; n=21) and FGI(Focus Group Interviews; n=7) was applied for data collection and analysis.The results were as follows.First, in the domain of expected benefits, the top priority was ensuring the utility of digital badges through outcome visualization and enhanced motivation for participation.Second, in the domain of concerns, the digital divide among youth workers and their administrative burden ranked highest, pointing to the need for competency building and workload reduction.Third, in the domain of support needs, developing standardized manuals and providing competency-building support emerged as the most urgent priorities.These findings are expected to serve as foundational data for the successful adoption of digital badges in youth activities and for establishing sustainable operational strategies.