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The rapid and ongoing technological developments and the changes in societal practices require us to update our understanding and skills relating to digital technology use continuously. Various frameworks have been created in recent years to explore the different aspects of digital literacies or digital competencies and a range of newer concepts and dimensions have emerged in the literature aiming to capture the complexity of digital engagement. The main aim of this systematic literature review (SLR) was to map out which elements or issues of critical digital literacies (CDL) relevant for school education currently feature in the academic literature and international policy documents. The secondary aim was to use the findings of the SLR to inform the creation of a research‐based framework for school education. The review process followed a systematic protocol for answering specific research questions. Research articles were sought in two electronic databases—EBSCO (Academic Search Complete) and Web of Science—and policy documents were sought on the Internet using Google search. A total of 139 research articles and policy‐related documents were used for the analysis. The main dimensions based on the analysis were the following (in the order of most hits): E‐safety, Participation and presence, Digital literacy, Media literacy, Digital citizenship, Technology literacy, Information literacy, Data literacy, Digital game literacy, Online learning, Digital creativity and innovation, and Digital well‐being. The emphasis in the research articles was on negative issues, although publications also outlined several positive issues about digitality. The emphases of the research articles and policy‐related documents differed somewhat. The findings of this SLR have implications for researchers, policy makers and educators interested in the changing nature of critical digital literacies and the dimensions and subdimensions relevant for school education. Context and implicationsRationale for the study: This systematic literature review (SLR) identifies the key elements and issues of critical digital literacies (CDL) relevant to school education, as documented in academic literature and international policy documents. In addition, it utilises the findings of the SLR to develop a research‐based framework for CLD in school education.Why the new findings matter: Our findings contribute to capturing the different aspects of CDL in the context of compulsory education and offer original insights with regard to supporting the development of teachers and students' critical digital literacies in the future.Implications for researchers, practitioners and policy makers: This SLR has implications for research as it has highlighted the need to continuously update theoretical models and frameworks relating to CDL. Although certain accepted core dimensions can provide a stable foundation for representing emerging phenomena, it is essential to maintain flexibility to address the technological advancements. An implication for policy making is the recognition of the need for continuous professional development and pedagogical support for teachers and students. The value for educational practitioners is that it elucidates the emerging notions of CDL, and it enables educational institutions to enhance their practices and initiatives related to CDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid‐19 pandemic has brought about the largest disruption to formal education in recent history and has resulted in school closures and the move to online teaching and learning across the globe. Using data from interviews with 25 teachers and head teachers in England and Greece, this paper aims to capture educators’ experiences during emergency remote education (ERE) in spring–summer 2020 and contribute to current and future conversations about the post‐pandemic school. Through a qualitative approach, the paper reports on the often improvised and compromised nature of online schooling during the first pandemic lockdown and presents the opportunities and challenges teachers experienced with the move to emergency remote education. It discusses how didactic modes of teaching prevailed, highlights the importance of parental involvement during ERE and argues that the move to online teaching and learning has accentuated digital inequalities. The findings of this study cast light on the hitherto unexplored area of ERE and offer original insights for future policy making, research and practice on how schools can develop readiness and resilience to face future closures in a post‐pandemic world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of using digital technologies and in particular web 2.0 tools to enhance school collaboration has recently been received with great enthusiasm and a range of new collaborative initiatives has emerged. Through a comparative qualitative case study of four schools in the UK and Greece, this article analyses how online tools are supporting and facilitating school collaboration within the 'e Twinning' programme - an EU initiative that seeks to promote web-based learning and collaboration between schools across Europe. In particular, it examines teachers' and students' compromised experiences of the tech-based e Twinning projects and highlights the factors that seemed to be undermining collaboration. It analyses whether the implementation of digital technologies for school collaboration has the potential to transform classroom practices or whether existing habits and 'ways of doing' are brought into new contexts - leading to another case of 'the old wine in new bottles' syndrome often attributed to the use of digital technology in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]