Influence of Individual Differences on Learning with Digital Textbooks

Abstract

Digital textbooks have many affordances to facilitate deeper learning through active interaction with multimedia contents and learning tools. This study aimed to investigate how digital skills, epistemological beliefs, and attitude of secondary school students influenced situational interest and cognitive engagement as well as perceived learning outcomes in learning with digital textbooks. A total of 131 students participated in this study as part of their coursework in science class. They used a tablet computer including a digital textbook application. Students used digital textbooks for studying multimedia resources, information search, personalized learning, and recording inquiry-based learning activities. The results showed that there was no significant influence of digital skills on learning with digital textbooks. On the other hand, this study found that students’ epistemological beliefs and attitude toward digital learning significantly influenced situational interest and cognitive engagement, which in turn influenced perceived learning outcomes. This finding implies that a teacher should pay more attention to student beliefs and attitude, which might be developed through socio-cultural interaction at home and school, when using digital textbooks.