The impact of parental digital literacy on early childhood cognitive development
家长数字素养对幼儿认知发展的影响研究

摘要

数字化转型背景下，家庭作为幼儿认知发展的微观系统，家长数字素养对幼儿认知发展的影响亟待证实。研究旨在探讨数字化时代家长数字素养对3-6岁幼儿认知发展的影响机制，为家庭数字教育提供实证依据。采用分层随机抽样方式，选取常州市与潍坊市3所城区幼儿园（含公办与民办）大、中、小班各1个，共300名幼儿及其家长为研究对象。自编《家长数字素养问卷》（Cronbach’s α=0.934）评估家长在数字活动、协作、资源、规范四维度的素养水平，以EAP-ECDS量表测查幼儿数字知识、短时记忆、执行功能与图形概念四维度认知能力。回收有效问卷282份，运用SPSS 27.0进行相关分析与多元线性回归，并通过分组回归进行稳健性检验。结果发现，家长数字素养均分3.2-3.6（满分5），数字规范得分最高、数字活动最低；幼儿短时记忆均分最高（0.98）、执行功能最低（0.64）。家长数字素养总分与幼儿认知总分显著正相关（r=0.391，p<0.01），控制班级与排行后净解释力为ΔR²=0.044-0.114。数字协作显著预测数字知识（B=0.062，p<0.01），数字规范显著预测执行功能（B=0.055，p<0.01），数字活动、协作、资源共同预测图形概念（B=0.037~0.074，p<0.05）。稳健性检验证实结论一致。家长数字素养通过不同维度差异化影响幼儿认知各侧面，建议从家庭规范协作、园所分层指导与社会资源净化三路径系统干预。研究厘清家长数字素养驱动幼儿认知发展的内在路径；为破解数字化养育盲区、缩小数字教育鸿沟及完善家校社协同育人政策的优化提供实证依据。

Abstract

Against the backdrop of digital transformation, the family serves as the microsystem of children’s cognitive development. However, the impact of parental digital literacy on preschoolers’ cognition remains insufficiently substantiated. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which parental digital literacy influences the cognitive development of 3- to 6-year-old children in the digital era, thereby providing empirical evidence for family-based digital education. Using stratified random sampling, we selected three urban kindergartens (including public and private institutions) in Changzhou and Weifang, recruiting one class each from the senior, middle, and junior levels, totaling 300 parent–child dyads. Parental digital literacy across four dimensions—digital activity, digital collaboration, digital resources, and digital norms—was assessed using a self-developed Parental Digital Literacy Questionnaire(Cronbach’s α = 0.934). Children’s cognitive abilities across four domains—digital knowledge, short-term memory, executive function, and graphic concepts—were measured using the Early Childhood Development Scale (EAP-ECDS). After excluding invalid responses, 282 valid questionnaires were retained for analysis. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were conducted using SPSS 27.0, and robustness checks were performed via subgroup regression. The overall parental digital literacy scores ranged from 3.2 to 3.6 (on a 5-point scale), with digital norms scoring highest and digital activities lowest. Among children’s cognitive outcomes, short-term memory yielded the highest mean score (M= 0.98), while executive function scored lowest (M= 0.64). Total parental digital literacy was significantly positively correlated with children’s overall cognitive performance (r= 0.391, p< 0.01). After controlling for class grade and birth order, the net explanatory power of parental digital literacy ranged from ΔR² = 0.044 to 0.114. Specifically, digital collaboration significantly predicted digital knowledge (B= 0.062, p< 0.01); digital norms significantly predicted executive function (B= 0.055, p< 0.01); and graphic concept development was jointly predicted by digital activity (B= 0.037, p< 0.05), digital collaboration (B= 0.074, p< 0.01), and digital resources (B= 0.046, p< 0.01). Robustness tests confirmed the consistency of these findings. Parental digital literacy exerts differentiated effects on distinct domains of children’s cognition through its various dimensions. Systematic interventions should be implemented along three pathways: establishing family-level digital norms and collaboration mechanisms, delivering kindergarten-based tiered guidance, and purifying the broader digital resource ecosystem. This study clarifies the intrinsic pathways through which parental digital literacy drives children’s cognitive development. The findings provide empirical grounding for addressing blind spots in digital parenting, narrowing the digital education divide, and optimizing home–kindergarten–community collaborative education policies.