Teaching for Truth and Peace: Typologies of Instructional Emphasis on Computer and Information Literacy in International Comparison

• In Event: Teaching and Learning of STEM and ICT in the Digital Age: Insights from International Assessments

Proposal

Theoretical Framework
In an age shaped by widespread misinformation, digital manipulation, and increasing polarization, Computer and Information Literacy (CIL; Fraillon, 2025) has become a key competence for sustaining democratic societies and fostering global peace (Sánchez-Castillo, 2024). By enabling students to critically access, evaluate, and use digital information, CIL supports informed civic engagement, resistance to manipulation, and social cohesion – core conditions for peaceful and resilient democracies (Reuter et al., 2024).
CIL can be theoretically divided into four subdomains: (1) knowledge related to the use of computers, (2) the collection and organization of information, (3) the creation of digital content, and (4) digital communication (Fraillon, 2025). While prior empirical research has mainly provided descriptive insights into how teachers promote the different subdomains of CIL in classroom settings – often showing an emphasis on information collection and organization (Fraillon et al., 2020) – there is limited evidence on differentiated instructional typologies. Existing studies in countries such as Germany, the United States and South Korea have focused on the frequency of digital media use (Lee, 2023), yet the effectiveness of CIL promotion depends more on instructional focus and quality than on frequency alone (Fütterer et al., 2022).

Country Selection and Research Question
Given their distinct technological, educational, and cultural contexts across different continents, as well as their varying average levels of CIL (Fraillon, 2025), and in light of the current state of research on digital application use, this study compares the cases of Germany, the United States, and South Korea and addresses the following research questions:
To what extent can typologies of instructional emphasis on CIL by teachers be identified in classroom settings in Germany, the United States, and South Korea?
To what extent do the identified typologies of instructional emphasis on CIL by teachers differ between Germany, the United States, and South Korea?

Method
The study draws on data from the International Computer and Information Literacy Study 2023 (ICILS 2023), using representative drawn teacher samples from the United States (n = 898), Germany (n = 2,302), and South Korea (n = 2,054) (Fraillon, 2025). A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted in MPlus 8 to identify distinct instructional profiles. Model selection was guided by information-theoretic fit indices, including the BIC (Eshima, 2022), and sampling weights were applied to correct for bias (Tieck, 2025).

Findings
The analysis identified six instructional profiles in the United States and South Korea, and seven in Germany. Due to the strong cross-national similarities among the six common profiles, identical labels were used across countries.
The All-round Promoters (Germany: 8.8%; USA: 21.8%; Korea: 39.4%) showed high engagement across all four CIL areas. In contrast, the Minimal Promoters (Germany: 31.2%; USA: 18.6%; Korea: 15.0%) reported limited CIL-related instruction. The Critical Information Emphasis Group (Germany: 8.8%; USA: 21.7%; Korea: 19.9%) focused on teaching students to assess and verify digital content. Balanced Promoters (Germany: 8.9%; USA: 19.3%; Korea: 10.1%) broadly supported all CIL areas, with slight emphasis on productive skills. The Basic Information Promoters (Germany: 13.1%; USA: 2.9%; Korea: 6.1%) prioritized foundational research and search strategies, while Selective Promoters (Germany: 16.2%; USA: 15.7%; Korea: 9.6%) emphasized only specific aspects – especially access to information.
Germany showed an additional, seventh profile: the Reflective-Pragmatic Group (13.8%), which focused on the reflective and responsible use of digital information.
The identified typologies of instructional emphasis on CIL differ notably across Germany, the United States, and South Korea in terms of prevalence and profile composition. While six common instructional profiles emerged across all three countries, their relative frequencies varied. For example, the 'All-round Promoters' were most prevalent in South Korea and least in Germany, whereas the 'Minimal Promoters' were most common in Germany. Additionally, Germany exhibited a unique seventh profile absent in the other two countries. These findings suggest that national educational cultures and policy contexts shape how teachers prioritize aspects of CIL instruction.

Conclusion
This study advances empirical research by identifying and comparing instructional typologies of CIL promotion across three countries. The findings offer key implications for teacher education and policy. Recognizing the diversity of instructional patterns can inform more tailored professional development. Furthermore, given CIL’s role in enabling critical engagement with digital information, fostering such competencies may support democratic resilience and social cohesion. By promoting students’ ability to navigate digital environments responsibly, educational systems can help lay the foundation for more peaceful and informed societies in a rapidly changing world.

Authors

• Jan Niemann, Paderborn University

• Birgit Eickelmann

• Kerstin Drossel, Paderborn University