Research:Development of a training program for teachers to use Wikipedia as a resource for collaborative learning and the development of skills for digital citizenship
This page documents a research project in progress.
Information may be incomplete and change as the project progresses.
Please contact the project lead before formally citing or reusing results from this page.
This project aims to develop a teacher training program utilizing Wikipedia and Wikimedia platforms as resources to foster collaborative learning and promote the development of digital citizenship. To conduct our research, we propose a case study in two schools located in Santiago, Chile.
The selected cases are considered representative of the country's socio-educational reality, as the schools correspond to one private paid institution and one public free institution, respectively. Thus, the research development includes the following phases: (1) conducting interviews with participating teachers to learn about their experiences, needs and expectations regarding digital citizenship education; (2) design of a teacher training program based on the findings made during phase 1; (3) implementation of the training program with teachers from the two selected educational centers; (4) collaborative design of a didactic proposal to be implemented in the selected centers by teachers previously trained during the program; and (5) implementation of the teachers' didactic proposal, with the support of Wikimedia Chile's Digital Education and Literacy Program.
Regarding the benefits of this project for the Wikimedia community, these can be summarised as follows: (1) making available a teacher training model that can be used and replicated by other chapters and/or affiliates. In other words, we hope that the project results will materialize in a pedagogical resource for Wikimedia chapters and affiliates; and (2) contributing, based on the data and evidence derived from the research, to the understanding about the needs, challenges and opportunities represented by the integration of Wikimedia technologies in secondary education centers. The latter, through dissemination of results in academic publications, as well as conferences, congresses, and other similar instances.
Methods
[edit]The research is developed through a mixed-methods design (qualitative and quantitative) based on case studies. In this way, each educational center is a case study. On the other hand, given the characteristics of the project, which includes both the inquiry of teachers' and students' perceptions and experiences, the joint development and implementation of a teacher training model and, finally, the evaluation of the initiative, this research can be classified as a quasi-experimental evaluative study of "pre-post" type (Banerjee et al., 2021; Rabbani et al., 2019; Shankar et al., 2020).
Regarding data collection procedures, the following techniques are being used: (1) Qualitative interviews with teachers and students (using an interview guide and audio recording each one); (2) Participant observation of training workshops (using an observation guide and audiovisually recording each session); (3) Classroom observation (based on an observation guide and audiovisually recording each class); (4) Focus groups for students (which will be recorded); and (5) Test on digital citizenship perceptions for students. To carry out these procedures, we deliver informed consents and assents to participants.
In the research process, an alliance has been developed with another local project that develops workshops for the use of Wikipedia as a resource for the development of digital citizenship skills. These workshops have a differentiating aspect in that they are workshops from a Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) perspective. Within the framework of our alliance, students and teachers from those workshops are also being evaluated to explore possible comparisons between the two different workshop models, leading to the development of auxiliary hypotheses around the learning experience using different methodologies around participation and collaborative work.
Timeline
[edit]| Table 1. Timeline | |
| Month | Activity |
|---|---|
| June, 2024 | Project design adjustments |
| June, 2024 | Analysis of the Chilean Curriculum (focused on secondary education) |
| July - September, 2024 | Fieldwork coordination (to define the sample and prepare for subsequent field entry) |
| July - August, 2024 | Preliminary workshop design |
| October - December, 2024 | Development of interview scripts and observation guidelines according to the project objectives |
| April, 2025 | Conducting teacher interviews |
| April, 2025 | Adaptation of the preliminary workshop design based on the needs and expectations identified from the interviews |
| April, 2025 | Implementation of teacher training workshops (includes a final phase where teachers planned pedagogical activities to implement with their students) |
| April, 2025 | Delivery of informed consent and assent forms for students and families |
| May, 2025 | Administration of the Digital Citizenship Perceptions Test to students |
| June-October, 2025 | Implementation of pedagogical activities with students |
| October, 2025 | Interviews and focus groups |
| November, 2025 | Data analysis |
| December, 2025 | Final report and article writing |
Policy, Ethics and Human Subjects Research
[edit]Although our project involves the design and implementation of pedagogical activities that use Wikimedia platforms (mainly Wikipedia) as tools for teaching digital citizenship, these actions do not pose a risk to Wikipedians' work since all activities will have the support and supervision of Wikimedia Chile's Digital Education and Literacy Program. For this reason, activities involving Wikipedia editing, as well as uploading photographs to Wikimedia Commons, will first undergo review and approval by the Education Officer of said chapter. Regarding ethical considerations, our project has been approved by the Ethics and Safety Committee of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Results
[edit]Below, the results obtained are organized according to the objectives of this research.
Qualitative Results Teachers’ Professional Development Needs Teachers’ perceptions of the integration of technologies and Digital Citizenship
Teachers report a lack of policies and strategies for the use of technologies in the classroom, as well as insufficient infrastructure to effectively integrate technologies into teaching and learning processes.
No, nothing. I mean, perhaps some time ago the Ministry issued an infographic about the use of mobile phones or artificial intelligence, but nothing really reaches teachers. (Teacher Interview 1)
My specialization is history teaching. I am a history teacher, and at university we had almost no training related to digital education, or very little. (Teacher Interview 3)
It is very limited, because although you may see the resources, access to laptops or computers is optional and requires prior registration. There are many classes and very few computers. (Teacher Interview 1)
Regarding teachers’ perceptions of students, they identify limited digital skills. Specifically, in relation to the use of technological devices, teachers perceive that students have very weak computer skills compared to their use of mobile phones, which they consider problematic, as computers are regarded as a more effective tool for learning.
Furthermore, with respect to digital citizenship, teachers believe that students demonstrate limited competencies, particularly in critical information analysis, participation, and school coexistence.
They do not know whether the information is accurate; they cannot recognize who created it, for what purpose, how or where it was written. That is why we are part of a generation that consumes fake news, because they are merely consumers and do not understand that there are methods to verify whether information is true or false. Critical analysis is minimal or nonexistent. (Teacher Interview 1)
They use many social media platforms—Instagram, TikTok; Facebook is considered outdated and is used less. One assumes they are digital natives, but when you teach them something like Word, they ask, “Teacher, how do you do this?” You have to teach them everything. (Teacher Interview 2)
Another risk is how they use these platforms, as sometimes they are used to discredit or harass others. For example, at the school there were websites where students criticized each other. (Teacher Interview 2)
Teachers also question the notion of students as content creators and instead describe them primarily as content consumers.
They do not really seek information; I think they consume the first thing that appears in their algorithm. (Teacher Interview 1)
Knowledge and Uses of Technologies and Digital Citizenship in Schools
Regarding the integration of digital technologies, teachers report a limited command of digital tools and resources, which is associated with a generalized lack of awareness of existing tools. Teachers emphasize the need for professional development in this area, stating that they require guidance on which types of tools to use in specific teaching and learning contexts.
With regard to digital citizenship, teachers demonstrate a basic understanding of the concept and its teaching; however, they report not having received in-depth or systematic training on this topic.
Concerning students, teachers consider that problematic uses of ICT and artificial intelligence hinder and restrict the pedagogical integration of digital technologies in the classroom.
I see an addiction, for example, to mobile phones and video games. Therefore, when technology is used, it must have a clear and specific purpose. (Teacher Interview 3)
When I have implemented projects that involve using a computer, I guide students on how to search for information. However, given the current context, I have recently preferred to work in a more manual way, for example, to avoid the use of ChatGPT. (Teacher Interview 1)
Construction and Implementation of a Teacher Training Model in the Use of Wikimedia to Promote Digital Citizenship Design of the Training Model
Within the context of this research, a teacher training model was developed to promote the use of Wikimedia platforms for teaching Digital Citizenship. This training model was structured into eight 45-minute modules addressing topics such as: (1) concepts and notions of Digital Citizenship; (2) the Wikimedia ecosystem and its core principles; (3) knowledge construction processes within Wikimedia environments; (4) mechanisms for preventing misinformation; (5) pedagogical models; and (6) Wikimedia environments for teaching Digital Citizenship.
The final modules were devoted to the design of pedagogical activities. In these sessions, teachers, together with the workshop facilitator, designed activities aligned with the learning outcomes of the training workshops, focusing on digital citizenship and the use of Wikimedia tools as potential facilitators of digital citizenship skills and competencies.
Implementation of the Model
Case 1 (Teacher 1)
The activity was implemented in a fourth year of secondary education, specifically in the elective subject of Political Science. The curricular content related to the dictatorship and neoliberalism in Chile was addressed through a research project focused on the school itself and the educational changes associated with the aforementioned historical context. A total of six class sessions were conducted, including research activities in libraries, interviews, and other tasks. The project culminated in the collective contribution of the class to the school’s Wikipedia article, incorporating both primary and secondary sources.
In this regard, the activity fostered the development of research skills, critical source analysis, participation, collaboration, and content creation. The main challenges observed were related to a lack of infrastructure—particularly limited access to computers for classroom use—and minor difficulties in using Wikipedia due to limited expertise among both students and teachers.
Case 2 (Teacher 2)
The activity was carried out in a third year of secondary education, specifically in the elective subject of Social Sciences, focusing on the use of visual sources and the local and institutional history of the school. Five class sessions were conducted, with an emphasis on the creation of photographic records. The activity concluded with students contributing freely licensed photographs of the school to the Wikimedia Commons platform, each accompanied by contextual information of varying degrees of rigor in order to inform the public about the institution.
This activity enabled work on visual sources, photographic research, and student participation. Its dynamic nature is highlighted, as it took place throughout the school premises and encouraged students’ creativity. The main challenges were related to infrastructure, particularly issues with computers and internet connectivity, as well as minor difficulties associated with the use of Wikimedia Commons, which may require additional training.
Case 3 (Teacher 3)
The activity was implemented in the eighth year of primary education, within the History subject, focusing on the Colonial period and the Arauco War. This was addressed over four class sessions through a role-playing activity in which students wrote a letter as if they were historical figures from the period, following research conducted using Wikipedia as a source of information.
The designed activity did not address in depth aspects related to digital citizenship and Wikipedia. Rather, the platform was primarily used as an information search tool, supported by classroom explanations regarding Wikipedia’s processes of knowledge construction and information validation. Despite these limitations, the activity successfully developed research skills, creativity, and non-digital content creation.
The main difficulties observed were related to infrastructure—particularly connectivity issues and access to computers—as well as students’ ICT and digital citizenship skills, behavioral issues, and the use of artificial intelligence to simplify research processes.
Case 4 (Teacher 4)
The activity was implemented in a second year of secondary education following a collaborative problem-solving model. Two class sessions were observed, during which two activities (one per session) were carried out. In each activity, students were presented with a problem related to the Wikipedia platform, particularly focusing on source management, neutrality, objectivity, and the discussion processes involved in Wikipedia articles.
Both activities were implemented without major difficulties, and students were able to analyze the problems, discuss them in groups, and subsequently present their conclusions in a plenary session where different viewpoints were debated.
Case 5 (Teacher 5)
The activity was carried out in the first year of secondary education. As in the previous case, a collaborative problem-solving approach was adopted, with a planning structure similar to the fourth experience. Students were presented with a series of questions and problems related to the appropriate and rigorous management of information in the creation of Wikipedia articles.
In this particular case, the first session could not be implemented as planned, which was reflected in the teacher’s frustration. At the end of the class, the teacher expressed in a tired tone: “Well, students… the activity did not work as I had expected.”
During implementation, several difficulties were observed, including: (1) the large number of students per classroom; (2) the limited size of the classroom; (3) student behavioral issues; and (4) the frequent use of artificial intelligence to resolve the problems posed by the teacher. This case highlights the importance of considering aspects related to cultural capital and the material conditions of educational institutions when designing and implementing this type of activity.
Evaluation of the Teacher Training Model by Teachers and Students Teachers’ perceptions and appraisal
Based on the final interviews, it can be concluded that, overall, teachers positively value the implementation of the training workshops. In this regard, although the workshops are considered to be of good quality and capable of addressing relevant content, teachers indicate that a longer duration would be necessary in order to explore the topics in greater depth. Accordingly, some teachers note that more constant and systematic support throughout the process would have been beneficial, particularly with regard to the design and implementation of the activities, in order to ensure opportunities for improvement and for making adjustments during the process in response to the actual classroom conditions and student characteristics.
Furthermore, teachers consider that they learned relevant content regarding the use of Wikimedia for teaching Digital Citizenship, and they identify platforms such as Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons as useful pedagogical tools for addressing Digital Citizenship. In this sense, they express interest in continuing to learn about these technologies. However, they emphasize that the main obstacle to the meaningful development of the initiative lies in the level of guidance and support provided by the responsible team during the planning and implementation phases. Likewise, they highlight the need to receive additional materials, examples, and resources to support the facilitation of their activities.
Students’ perceptions and appraisal
The focus groups conducted with students reveal that students are able to identify the acquisition of various forms of learning as a result of the implemented activities. In this regard, students report having learned about the existence, characteristics, and uses of Wikimedia platforms, specifically tools such as Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons.
To be honest, I did not know that there were more branches beyond Wikipedia; I thought it was just Wikipedia and nothing else. (Focus Group, Teacher 2’s class)
It’s about primary and secondary sources. We were also studying that, but I found it really interesting that Wikipedia ultimately becomes a kind of compilation of information, which is where it can be checked and verified. (Focus Group, Teacher 1’s class)
Students also highlight the development of research skills and source use. Likewise, they value participation and the benefits that the use of these tools provides to the community.
Not only with Wikipedia, but I also learned how to research better in general, how to do a good research project. (Focus Group, Teacher 1’s class)
I really liked it because it’s something that isn’t done very often, like going deeper into something that doesn’t really exist yet, such as the school’s Wikipedia page. In the end, you’re contributing a bit to the community as well. And beyond just writing the article, the whole process of learning how to research and how to look for real sources was very valuable. (Focus Group, Teacher 1’s class)
Moreover, students emphasize the potential usefulness of learning to use these platforms throughout their educational trajectories, particularly in higher education.
It can be very helpful if you plan to study at university, because you won’t be given the same tools as here. So learning how to search for reliable information and these kinds of things, especially through Wikipedia, can really help us in the future. (Focus Group, Teacher 2’s class)
Finally, students express that they found the activity engaging and novel, and that they would like to continue participating in similar activities.
Yes, definitely, because if Wikipedia is the main source of information and Commons is the image repository, then the others must focus on different areas. Learning more about these applications would be really interesting. (Focus Group, Teacher 2’s class)
I liked the activity and I would like to do it again. We worked with Wikipedia, and although I didn’t fully understand everything, I was still interested. Learning how to use it better or how to use other platforms like Wikipedia could really help us in everyday life and with our studies, just like my classmates were saying. (Focus Group, Teacher 2’s class)
Quantitative Results Digital Citizenship Skills
The results obtained from the Digital Citizenship Skills Test show no statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-intervention measurements across any of the assessed scales. In the case of CYB (cyberbullying knowledge), the mean score shows a slight decrease from the pre-test (M = 6.14) to the post-test (M = 5.86); however, this difference does not reach statistical significance (p = .112).
In contrast, the NSM (news on social media) and NML (news media literacy) scales display marginal increases in their mean scores between the two measurements. Specifically, NSM increases from a pre-test mean of 5.17 to a post-test mean of 5.33 (p = .587), while NML rises from 5.39 in the pre-test to 5.54 in the post-test (p = .705). In both cases, these variations are not statistically significant.
Overall, these results indicate that the intervention did not produce statistically significant changes in the scores of the analyzed scales. Nevertheless, a descriptive trend toward increased mean scores can be observed in the dimensions related to news consumption and news literacy, particularly in NSM and NML. This pattern suggests the presence of incipient improvements that did not reach statistical significance and that could be explored in greater depth in future studies with larger sample sizes or research designs more sensitive to change.
Table 3. Descriptive statistics for NML, CYB, and NSM in pre- and post-assessments Tabla 3. Descriptivos para NML, CYB y NSM en las evaluaciones pre y post
Pre Post
Scale
Media_Pre
Media_Post
p
CYB
6.14
5.86
0,112
NSM
5.17
5.33
0,587
NML
5.39
5.54
0,705
Although the measure of cyberbullying knowledge shows a decrease, this result may be interpreted in light of the fact that this dimension is directly connected to students’ relational processes throughout the academic year. Consequently, responses to these items may be of lower quality or influenced by a negative disposition toward the topic. By contrast, the other two dimensions—more closely associated with cognitive processes of analysis and understanding of the media environment—show slight improvements, which may indicate the potential to achieve more robust results through more sustained and long-term interventions.
Resources
[edit]The preliminary results of the study were presented at the 23rd edition of the Educational Psychology Conference (Jornadas de Psicología Educacional, JIPSE 2025), held in Pucón, in the Araucanía Region, Chile, on October 28, 2025. On this occasion, the paper entitled “Development of a Teacher Training Program on the Use of Wikipedia as a Resource for Collaborative Learning and the Development of Digital Citizenship Skills” was presented. This presentation included most of the results reported in this study, with the exception of the final interviews with teachers, the last two implementation sessions conducted by Teachers 4 and 5, and the quantitative data.
References
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