Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The widespread expansion of digital communication technologies has significantly transformed individuals’ processes of accessing, interpreting, and evaluating information. This transformation has also affected the circulation of religious knowledge, making it necessary to reconsider the relationship between religious education and new media literacy. The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between high school graduates’ levels of attainment of the general objectives of the Religious Culture and Ethics (RCE) course, their religiosity levels, and their new media literacy levels. The study was conducted using the correlational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The sample of the study consisted of 601 high school graduates. Data were collected through the “Scale of Attainment Levels of the General Objectives of the Secondary School Religious Culture and Ethics Course,” the “Religious Attitude Scale,” and the “New Media Literacy Scale.” Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were used in data analysis. The findings revealed a low but significant relationship between the level of attainment of the general objectives of the RCE course and new media literacy. In contrast, no significant relationship was found between religiosity and new media literacy. A moderate and significant relationship was identified between the level of attainment of the general objectives of the RCE course and religiosity. At the sub-dimension level, the most meaningful relationship with new media literacy emerged in the Place of Reason in Religion dimension of the RCE scale. In addition, it was found that the level of attainment of the general objectives of the RCE course significantly predicted particularly the critical consumption dimension of new media literacy. Regression analyses regarding the prediction of religiosity showed that the dimensions of Knowledge about Religion, Internalization, and Perception of Islam made positive significant contributions, whereas the Place of Reason in Religion dimension made a negative significant contribution. In conclusion, the study shows that there is no direct and strong relationship between religious education and new media literacy; however, the dimensions of religious education related to reasoning, questioning, and critical evaluation intersect more meaningfully with new media literacy. This finding suggests that, in the digital age, religious education should be reconsidered not only in terms of transmitting religious knowledge but also in terms of equipping individuals with the capacity to evaluate religious content encountered in digital environments.
Source: DergiPark (Istanbul University)
Authors: Çiftçi, Metin, Akın, Abdullah
Institution: Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi
Language: Turkish
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7162052851