Contextual Role of Digital Literacy in Impactful Learning and Work Readiness: A Comparative Study of Elementary Teacher Education and Information Technology Students

This study analyzes determinants of impactful learning among Primary School Teacher Education (PGSD) students and of work readiness among Information Technology (IT) students, and compares the role of digital literacy across both contexts. Two separate models were estimated using a quantitative ex post facto design on 222 PGSD students (total sampling) at Universitas Muhammadiyah Muara Bungo and 321 IT students (online survey) at three private universities in Jambi, complemented by interviews with 15 PGSD students. PLS-SEM (SmartPLS 4.1.1.4) and thematic analysis were used. Among PGSD students, instructional design skills (β=0.347; p=0.002) and pedagogical content knowledge (β=0.344; p<0.001) were the main predictors of impactful learning, followed by digital literacy (β=0.205; p=0.018); all were positive and significant (R²=0.700). Interviewees prioritized content knowledge over technology. Among IT students, digital literacy dominated work readiness (direct effect β=0.542; f²=0.576; p<0.001). The indirect effect via work motivation was significant (β=0.197; p<0.001), yielding a total effect of 0.739 (partial mediation). The model explained 86.2% of work readiness variance. Digital literacy is thus the primary determinant in technology-based fields but complementary in pedagogical fields; its role is contextual, not universal. The findings support the Pedagogy Primacy Theory, so curricula should align with each discipline's core competencies.