CULTURAL CAPITAL AND DIGITAL SKILLS OF ADULT LEARNERS IN GREECE

Authors

  • George Delibeys PhD Candidate, University of Patras, Greece
  • Dimitris Vergidis Professor Emeritus, University of Patras, Greece
  • Eleni Delimpei PhD Candidate, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v11i12.5697

Keywords:

Bourdieu, cultural capital, digital skills, adult education, digital inequalities

Abstract

This study examines the impact of cultural capital on the digital skills of adult learners in evening High Schools in Western Greece. In order to achieve this, Bourdieu’s theoretical framework is employed, and the contribution of the three forms of cultural capital, namely institutionalised, objectified, and embedded, to the digital skills of adult learners is analysed. A quantitative methodology was employed, and a questionnaire was selected as the research instrument. The sample comprised 153 adult learners, and the data were analysed using SPSS. The findings indicate that adult learners with higher cultural capital demonstrate superior digital skills, particularly in information literacy, digital safety and problem-solving. It is concluded that unequal cultural capital is associated with the level of digital skills among learners, contributing to the perpetuation of inequalities.

 

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Author Biographies

  • George Delibeys, PhD Candidate, University of Patras, Greece

    Mr George Delibeys is a Computer Science teacher in Secondary Vocational Education and a PhD candidate at the Department of Educational Sciences and Social Work of the University of Patras. He is a graduate of the Department of Computer & Information Technology Engineering of the University of Patras and holds a Master degree in “Computational Mathematics – Informatics in Education”. He is also a certified adult educator and his research interests focus on the use of Information and Communication Technologies in evening High Schools and adult education.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9883-4086

  • Dimitris Vergidis, Professor Emeritus, University of Patras, Greece

    Mr Dimitris Vergidis is a Greek academic and Professor Emeritus of the University of Patras. He specializes in adult education, education policy and lifelong learning strategies. He has participated in dozens of research projects, has studied Second Chance Schools in Greece, and is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles.  He has also participated in European educational research, contributing to the development of educational innovation strategies. He has taught at several universities and has been a researcher in several research projects. His work focuses on the study of training needs, the strengthening of educational policies and the empowerment of adult education in Greece and Europe.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8635-3207

  • Eleni Delimpei, PhD Candidate, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

    Ms Eleni Delimpei is a Computer Science teacher in Primary Education and a PhD candidate at the Department of Philosophy and Education of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She is a graduate of the Department of Computer Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds two Master’s degrees, one in Computer Science with a specialisation in “Information and Communication Technologies in Education”, and one in “Psychopedagogy of Inclusion: School for All” with a specialisation in ”Psychopedagogical Components of Multiculturalism”. Her research interests focus on the use of Information and Communication Technologies in social-emotional learning programmes.

    ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4351-3599

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Published

2024-11-27

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 12 (2024)

Section

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