A1 Journal article (refereed)
Adolescents’ credibility justifications when evaluating online texts (2022)
Kiili, C., Bråten, I., Strømsø, H. I., Hagerman, M. S., Räikkönen, E., & Jyrkiäinen, A. (2022). Adolescents’ credibility justifications when evaluating online texts. Education and Information Technologies, 27(6), 7421-7450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10907-x
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Kiili, Carita; Bråten, Ivar; Strømsø, Helge I.; Hagerman, Michelle Schira; Räikkönen, Eija; Jyrkiäinen, Anne
Journal or series: Education and Information Technologies
ISSN: 1360-2357
eISSN: 1573-7608
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 10/02/2022
Volume: 27
Issue number: 6
Pages range: 7421-7450
Publisher: Springer
Publication country: United States
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-10907-x
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/79794
Abstract
Research has shown that students differ in their abilities to evaluate the credibility of online texts, and, in general, many perform poorly on online evaluation tasks. This study extended current knowledge by examining students’ abilities to justify the credibility of online texts from different perspectives, thus providing a more nuanced understanding of students’ credibility evaluation ability. We examined how upper secondary school students (N = 73; aged 16 to 17) evaluated author expertise, author intention, the publication venue, and the quality of evidence when reading four texts about the effects of sugar consumption in a web-based environment. Additionally, we examined how students’ prior topic knowledge, Internet-specific justification beliefs, and time on task were associated with their credibility justifications. Students evaluated author expertise, author intention, the venue, and the quality of evidence for each text on a six-point scale and provided written justifications for their evaluations. While students’ credibility evaluations were quite accurate, their credibility justifications lacked sophistication. Inter-individual differences were considerable, however. Regression analysis revealed that time on task was a statistically significant unique predictor of students’ credibility justifications. Instructional implications are discussed.
Keywords: information sources; online material; credibility; evaluation; source criticism; conception of knowledge; young people; general upper secondary school students
Free keywords: sourcing; credibility justification; online evaluation; adolescents; epistemic beliefs; internet-specific epistemic justification beliefs; behavioral engagement
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
Preliminary JUFO rating: 1