Critical digital literacy of future teachers in the Twitter Age (La alfabetización crítica digital del futuro profesorado en tiempos de Twitter) ( La alfabetización crítica digital del futuro profesorado en tiempos de Twitter )

Abstract

The transformations caused by the proliferation of social media in the Digital Age are having a huge impact on the field of education. Teacher training programmes are faced with the challenge of preparing future teachers to interpret digital media critically. Creating an informed, reflective citizenry depends on this training. This leads to the question: Are future teachers critical thinkers? This study inquires into the capacities of students in their third and fourth years of the Bachelor’s degree in Primary Education at five Spanish universities (n = 322) to construct critical discourses. This study examines their capacities to analyse and discuss information from social media on controversial issues around gender violence, machismo, LGBTIQ persons, homophobia, intolerance and undemocratic attitudes. The results reveal the future teachers’ difficulties developing critical discourses based on online news items on controversial issues. Only a minority doubt, check, analyse and argue critically.