Exploring Parental Engagement in Digital Learning and Its Influence on Early Childhood Moral Development
Keywords:
Parental Engagement, Digital Learning, Moral Development, Early ChildhoodAbstract
The rapid development of digital technology has transformed early childhood learning environments and increased the importance of parental involvement in supporting children's digital learning activities. This study aims to explore patterns of parental engagement in digital learning and analyze their influence on early childhood moral development. The study employed a qualitative approach using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method. Relevant literature published between 2020 and 2025 was collected from Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ERIC, and Google Scholar databases. Article selection followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, while data were analyzed through thematic synthesis. The findings indicate that parental engagement in digital learning includes roles as learning mediators, agents of moral value transmission, and facilitators of children's technology use. Its influence operates through digital behavioral modeling, value-based content mediation, value communication, and emotional regulation. Active, reflective, and value-oriented parental engagement positively contributes to the development of empathy, honesty, self-discipline, and social responsibility among young children. In contrast, passive involvement may hinder the internalization of moral values. Digital literacy, socioeconomic conditions, and cultural context were identified as key factors affecting the quality of parental engagement. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening family digital literacy and promoting collaboration between families and educational institutions to support children's moral development in the digital era.
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