PARTICIPATORY COMMUNICATION IN DIGITAL ETHICS EDUCATION: A MIXED-METHODS STUDY OF ADULT LEARNERS IN NORTH JAKARTA

Sumartini   Puspa Dewi; Heris  Hendriana; Lenny Nuraeni; Sri Nurhayati; Udeme Samuel Jacob; Md Hafizi Ahsan

doi:10.37478/jpm.v7i4.8801

Authors

Sumartini Puspa Dewi IKIP Siliwangi, Bandung, Indonesia
Heris Hendriana IKIP Siliwangi, Bandung, Indonesia
Lenny Nuraeni IKIP Siliwangi, Bandung, Indonesia
Sri Nurhayati IKIP Siliwangi, Bandung, Indonesia
Udeme Samuel Jacob University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
Md Hafizi Ahsan Labuan Faculty of International Finance, University Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37478/jpm.v7i4.8801

Abstract

The expansion of digital participation has intensified ethical challenges related to misinformation, privacy, responsible communication, and digital citizenship. This study examined participatory communication as a dialogue-based approach to digital ethics education in a community-based learning setting. A convergent mixed-methods, single-group design was employed with 30 adult women in North Jakarta, Indonesia, without a comparison group. The digital ethics education program comprised three 40-minute sessions (120 minutes total), and all 30 participants were interviewed using individual and group formats after the sessions. Quantitative data were collected through post-intervention questionnaires (n = 30) and paired pretest–posttest assessments (n = 5), while qualitative evidence was obtained from open-ended responses, semi-structured interviews, and observations. The findings suggested that participants’ primary learning needs concerned ethical digital practices rather than technological access. Participant feedback and observations indicated a dialogical learning environment characterized by two-way interaction, contextual discussion, experience sharing, and reflection. Twenty-nine of the 30 participants (96.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that two-way interaction occurred. Three interconnected themes of perceived learning were identified: critical information evaluation, ethical responsibility, and intentions to share digital ethics knowledge within families and communities. Among five volunteers (5/30), mean test scores increased from 5.6/10 to 10/10; all five achieved the maximum posttest score. Given post-only self-reports and five paired assessments, the study cannot establish causal effects or sustained behavioral change. The study suggests that participatory communication may support the development of ethical digital awareness by connecting lived digital experience with collective reflection in community-based learning environments.

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Keywords:

Participatory communication, Digital ethics education, Community-based learning, Digital citizenship, Transformative learning, Adult learners

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