Digital Literacy, the Use of Educational Technology, Student Engagement, and Learning Quality in Elementary and Islamic Elementary Education

Digital transformation in elementary education has increased the importance of digital literacy and educational technology, yet previous studies have often examined digital literacy, technology use, student engagement, and learning quality as separate dimensions. This study aimed to synthesize the relationships among these four dimensions in elementary and Islamic elementary education and to identify contextual factors shaping their interaction. A qualitative literature review was conducted using 40 selected scholarly studies published within the most recent ten-year period, 2017–2026, covering international, national, and local Indonesian contexts. Relevant literature was identified according to its alignment with digital literacy, educational technology, student engagement, learning quality, and elementary or Islamic elementary education. Data were organized through a literature-recording matrix and analyzed thematically by comparing findings across studies. The results indicate that digital literacy provides a foundational capacity for meaningful and responsible educational technology use, extending beyond basic operational skills to critical evaluation, information management, communication, and digital participation. Educational technology supports behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement and can contribute to learning quality when integrated with appropriate pedagogy, learning objectives, and student needs. The synthesis further identifies student engagement as an important process connecting purposeful technology use with learning quality, while teacher competence, motivation, infrastructure, learning environment, and parental support shape this relationship. The study concludes that digital transformation should be understood as an interconnected pedagogical process rather than technology adoption alone, providing an integrated framework for strengthening learning in elementary and Islamic elementary education.