doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.1.2493
Cybersecurity Awareness and Digital Hygiene among Pre-service Primary School Teachers: A Case Study of Kazakhstan
Aruna Amzeyeva1
,
Aziya Zhumabayeva2 ,
Askarbek Kussainov2 ,
Aziza Zhunusbekova2,* ,
Aiym Tynyskhanova2 ,
Karashash Zhanadilova3
- 1Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, and Primary Education Methodology, Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan
- 2Department of Primary Education, Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 3Department of Social and Age Pedagogy, Sh.Ualikhanov Kokshetau University, Kokshetau, Kazakhstan
- Manuscript receivedJuly 1, 2025
- revisedJuly 21, 2025
- acceptedAugust 29, 2025
- publishedJanuary 16, 2026
Abstract
Given the rapid growth of digital technologies and the rise in digital threats, preparing future elementary school teachers in cybersecurity and digital hygiene is essential. This study aims to evaluate the awareness, digital competence, and motivation of future teachers regarding digital security, while identifying gaps in their training amid the ongoing digitalization of education. A quantitative descriptive design was employed to assess 120 third-year students from Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University in Kazakhstan. The questionnaire included sections on digital hygiene, cybersecurity knowledge, motivation, and self-assessed digital competence. Participants scored an average of 2.7 out of 5 in overall cybersecurity awareness, indicating moderate knowledge. Key weaknesses were found in understanding the risks of sharing personal data online (M=2.5) and teaching digital safety to children (M=2.6). While 60% regularly used antivirus software and 76.7% stored passwords securely, only 41.7% always updated software, and 37.5% had not received any digital safety training. In contrast, motivational readiness was high (M=4.5 for willingness to learn). While the study is descriptive in nature, it provides an important initial diagnostic of digital security competence. Future research is recommended to apply more advanced statistical analysis to explore causative and correlative relationships. These findings highlight the need to incorporate structured cybersecurity education into teacher training programs, focusing on practical knowledge and closing knowledge gaps. This study is among the first in Kazakhstan to systematically diagnose the digital security competencies of future elementary school teachers and proposes a structured assessment methodology to support curriculum development.
Keywords
- cybersecurity
- digital hygiene
- future teachers
- primary education
- digital literacy
How to Cite
Aruna Amzeyeva, Aziya Zhumabayeva, Askarbek Kussainov, Aziza Zhunusbekova, Aiym Tynyskhanova, and Karashash Zhanadilova, "Cybersecurity Awareness and Digital Hygiene among Pre-service Primary School Teachers: A Case Study of Kazakhstan," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 185-195, 2026. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.1.2493
Copyright & License
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).