The study explores the effectiveness of edublogs (blogs used for educational purposes) as instructional and motivational tools in higher education. The proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has dramatically altered communication practices, increasing interactivity and collaboration. Blogs, as a prominent example of Web 2.0, offer a platform for regular information publishing, featuring reverse chronological ordering to emphasize recent updates. Their emergence in the late 1990s democratized online publishing, initially requiring minimal technical expertise. The evolution into interactive Web 2.0 platforms fostered community participation and global networking. Key features of blogs, according to Paquet (2003), include personal editorship, hyperlinked posts, frequent updates, public access, and archived postings. The "blogosphere," encompassing all interconnected blogs, has become a significant global publishing medium influencing public and individual opinion. Beyond communication, blogs serve as motivational tools, particularly enhancing collaborative online tasks. Liao et al. (2013) identify utilitarian (perceived effectiveness), hedonic (perceived enjoyment), and social identity (group distinctiveness) as key motivational factors in blogging. This study focuses on students' utilitarian motivation within a higher education context. In education, edublogs have gained popularity as ICT tools and social learning networks, effectively delivering content and stimulating discussion, thereby improving learning outcomes. Their user-friendly interface facilitates quick understanding and use. Urbano and Villanueva (2012) classify edublogs based on authorship, content, educational level, and target audience, highlighting the versatile nature of this resource for various academic purposes. This research focuses on edublogs' impact on student motivation and the acquisition of digital, social, and civic competencies.

Existing literature establishes a strong link between motivation and engagement in learning (Bond et al., 2020). Blogs are recognized as valuable media for personal expression and opinion exchange (Gill et al., 2009), fostering student communication and reflection (Halic et al., 2010). Measuring utilitarian motivation in edublog use involves assessing students' desire to communicate and participate in online platforms to construct knowledge (Liao et al., 2013). Previous studies have shown edublogs' usefulness in stimulating communication and providing flexible spaces for idea expression (Pérez-Nevado et al., 2012; Pardo-Baldoví et al., 2020; Martín Montilla and Montilla-Coronado, 2016). Regarding social and civic competence, Hamid et al. (2015) and Úbeda Colomer and Molina (2016) demonstrated the role of blogs in enhancing social learning and discussions on controversial social issues. Canan (2013) and Bardwell (2011) highlighted blogs' contribution to fostering democratic values and enhancing communication and analysis skills through collaborative projects. However, despite the recognized benefits, some studies suggest that the motivational and social dimensions of technology tools in education require further investigation (Deng and Yuen, 2012; Ge et al., 2019). This study aims to address this gap by examining student perceptions of academic blogging in relation to their self-perceived motivation and the development of digital, social, and civic competencies.

This quantitative study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests to assess the impact of edublogs on student teachers' self-reported motivation, digital skills, and social and civic competencies. Participants (N=101) were second-year Primary Education students at the University of Murcia, Spain, enrolled in a mandatory "Teaching Social Sciences" course. A non-probability convenience sample was used. The intervention involved integrating edublog creation and use into the four-month course. Students created personal blogs and posted entries related to course content before each class. In-class activities focused on collaborative problem-solving and discussions, further reinforcing the blog-based learning. Data were collected using an ad hoc questionnaire with three sections: current knowledge of blogging (pre- and post-intervention), self-reported motivation (pre- and post-intervention), and perceived acquisition of social and civic competencies (pre- and post-intervention). The questionnaire used a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was adapted from a previously validated instrument (Gómez-Carrasco et al., 2019). Data analysis involved calculating pre- and post-test scores for each dimension. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare pre- and post-test scores, given the non-normal distribution of the data. Kruskal-Wallis tests examined differences in pre- and post-test scores based on students' self-reported levels of motivation and ICT competence. A significance level of α = 0.05 was used for all tests.

The results indicated a positive overall perception of edublogs from the students. Table 3 shows the descriptive statistics, revealing reasonably positive average scores at the beginning of the term and quite good scores at the end, across all three dimensions. Table 4 presents the results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Statistically significant differences were found between pre- and post-tests for all three dimensions (self-perceived development of digital skills, self-perceived motivation, and self-perceived development of social and civic competences), indicating that the use of edublogs significantly improved students' perceptions in these areas. Table 5 displays the Kruskal-Wallis test results. Statistically significant differences were found in the post-tests between students with different levels of motivation regarding the acquisition of digital skills and the development of social and civic competencies. Highly motivated students showed a significantly more positive perception of these outcomes compared to less motivated students. While significant differences existed between students with varying levels of ICT competence regarding digital skills acquisition in the pre-tests, these differences were not significant in the post-tests. This suggests that edublog usage narrowed the gap between students of differing ICT proficiency.

The findings demonstrate the positive impact of integrating edublogs into higher education. The ease of use and lack of technical barriers, consistent with the literature (Davis et al., 2019; Tekinarslan, 2008), contributed to improved digital skills. The significant improvement in self-reported motivation aligns with research emphasizing the motivational potential of online learning communities (Al-Hebaishi, 2012; Fathi et al., 2019; Royuela et al., 2020). The link between high motivation and positive perceptions of skill acquisition suggests the importance of considering students' pre-existing motivational levels when implementing edublogs. The study supports previous research highlighting blogs' effectiveness in enhancing social and civic competences (Bardwell, 2011; Kirkwood and Price, 2014; Molina et al., 2016; Marín et al., 2020), facilitating collaborative learning and promoting critical thinking about relevant social issues. The positive impact on collaborative skills is consistent with research emphasizing regular peer interaction and user-friendly interfaces (Hamid et al., 2015; Úbeda-Colomer and Molina, 2016). The use of edublogs also facilitated the integration of interdisciplinary content, enhancing learning experiences beyond the classroom (Bardwell, 2011).

This study highlights the pedagogical effectiveness of edublogs in higher education, demonstrating their positive impact on student motivation, digital literacy, and social and civic competencies. The ease of use and ability to facilitate collaborative learning make edublogs a valuable tool for educators. Further research should focus on exploring the relationship between perceived and actual social and civic competence, expanding the sample size and including a control group for stronger causal inference, and investigating the long-term effects of edublog use on student learning outcomes.

The study's limitations include the use of a convenience sample, the absence of a control group, and the focus on a single course. These factors might limit the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported measures may not fully capture students' actual skill development. Future research should address these limitations by employing larger, more representative samples and using diverse data collection methods to enhance the validity and generalizability of the results.