Toward conceptual clarity for digital cultural and social capital in student learning: Insights from a systematic literature review

Abstract

This systematic review examined the association between students’ digital cultural and social capital and their learning outcomes, focusing on the characteristics, related factors, and impact of their digital cultural and social capital. Through a literature search process using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, 21 studies were identified for inclusion in the review. We found that digital cultural and social capital provides a useful theoretical basis for understanding the underlying effects of the digital divide on student development. Results of the review allow us to propose operational definitions of digital cultural and social capital, as well as refine our conceptualization of these forms of capital, including their roles in the reproduction of educational inequalities. Lastly, strategies that could be implemented by schools, parents, and other stakeholders in educational systems to bolster students’ digital cultural and social capital are suggested.