Between Margins and Machines: Agency and Digital Literacy in Rural-Urban Migrant Children’s Digital Use

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Wednesday 9:45am
  In Poster Session: Diverse Learners and Inclusive Teaching Practices

Abstract

This ethnographic case study examines how rural migrant children in China negotiate digital and AI-based learning resources within their sociotechnical contexts. Focusing on two cases, with data from six-month fieldnotes, digital artifacts and interviews, the study challenges the assumption that child agency always leads to positive learning experiences. Findings reveal that while participants actively leveraged digital tools to reshape limited offline academic support, critical digital literacy in evaluating digital resources and reshaping sociotechnical structures was crucial for meaningful learning. This research reveals the emergent, self-directed digital practices of marginalized children outside formal education and underscores the need for a dual focus on fostering both child agency and critical digital literacy.

Authors

• Ziwen Mei, University of British Columbia

• Guofang Li, University of British Columbia