The Dual Role of Digital Self-Efficacy in Reading Engagement from a Nonlinear Dynamics Perspective

Background: The purpose of this study is to elucidate the potentially complex relationship between digital self-efficacy and students' engagement with reading activities, given that the students are known to enjoy reading. Of particular interest were the roles of digital self-efficacy as potential regulators and/or moderators of students' engagement with reading activities at school. Methods: The participants were fourth-grade students from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The data came from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) in 2021. The main hypothesis put forth was that digital self-efficacy would play a significant role in regulating students' engagement with reading activities. The prediction of students' reading engagement at school may take two different directions: linear and nonlinear. Based on the linear model's prediction, it was expected that increases in digital self-efficacy would be associated with increases in engagement with reading activities. Results: The opposite prediction was supported; that is, heightened self-efficacy led to an unexpected drop and unpredictability in students' engagement with reading. Conclusions: A potential explanation is that enhanced self-efficacy in digital skills is associated with enhanced interest and activity in digitally related tasks, such as video games, and engagement with internet-type activities and social media platforms, which consume a significant amount of time. Another possible explanation is related to levels of overconfidence in students, and it is suggested that those enhanced ratings are not necessarily associated with enhanced outcomes. It is concluded that enhanced digital self-efficacy may not have the expected positive effects as individuals become complacent and cease their efforts after seeing prior successes in reading achievement.