Abstract

This article examines the role of digital citizenship education in continuing education and its potential contribution to strengthening the human foundation of the “people’s hearts and minds posture” (thế trận lòng dân) in cyberspace. The study combines an integrative review with policy document analysis and an examination of the institutional context of vocational and continuing education centers. Following the screening and full- text assessment, 18 sources were included in the final synthesis. The findings indicate that digital environments expand opportunities for learning, communication, and participation while also posing risks related to information, safety, privacy, and digital well-being. Drawing on areas of convergence between Vietnam’s Digital Competence Framework for Learners and international frameworks, the study identifies four analytical clusters of digital citizenship competencies: information discernment and verification; digital legal and ethical competence; digital self-regulation, safety, and well-being; and participation, communication, and positive content creation. Mapping these clusters onto the institutional functions of vocational and continuing education centers yields six directions for implementation. These directions constitute practical implications derived from the literature synthesis; they are not interventions whose effectiveness has been empirically tested.

Keywords: Continuing education, digital citizenship education, digital safety, people’s hearts and minds posture, safeguarding the Party’s ideological foundation.