The role of digital literacy, 21st century skills, and intercultural sensitivity in predicting democratic attitudes of middle school students

This study aims to examine the predictive role of middle school students' digital literacy, 21st-century skills, and intercultural sensitivity levels on their democratic attitudes. The study aims to contribute to educational policies by analyzing the relationships between these variables and differences according to demographic factors. The sample of the study, which was conducted in a quantitative research design, consists of 681 middle school students (5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades) studying in the Kepez, Konyaaltı, and Muratpaşa districts of Antalya in the 2023-2024 academic year. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Digital Literacy Scale, 21st Century Skills Scale, Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, and Democratic Attitude Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The research findings show that middle school students' digital literacy (X̄=4.12), 21st-century skills (X̄=4.14), and intercultural sensitivity levels (X̄=3.82) are high, while their democratic attitudes (X̄=4.20) are very high. The results of the regression analysis revealed that 21st-century skills are the strongest predictor of democratic attitudes (β=.55, p<.01), and intercultural sensitivity is also a significant but lower-level predictor (β=.16, p<.01). It was determined that digital literacy did not significantly predict democratic attitudes (β=.02, p=.65). The model explains 41% of the variance in democratic attitude. In addition, correlation analyses showed that there are significant positive relationships among all variables. As a result, the research findings revealed that 21st-century skills have a direct and strong effect on the development of democratic attitudes in middle school students. It was also found that intercultural sensitivity has a significant but more limited contribution to democratic attitudes. These results indicate that, in order to develop students' democratic values, 21st-century skills as well as opportunities for intercultural interaction should be systematically supported in educational programs, and that this process should be addressed with a holistic approach.