Enhancing cybersecurity education in secondary schools: A CyBOK-based analysis and strategic approach

Alotaibi, Maha, Cherdantseva, Yulia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3527-1121, Rana, Omer ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3597-2646 and Teehan, Catherine 2024. Enhancing cybersecurity education in secondary schools: A CyBOK-based analysis and strategic approach. Presented at: INTED2024 conference, Valencia, Spain, 4-6 March 2024. INTED2024 Proceedings. INTED proceedings. International Technology, Education and Development Conference Valencia: IATED, pp. 5096-5104. 10.21125/inted.2024.1319 Item availability restricted.

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Restricted to Repository staff only until 24 November 2025 due to copyright restrictions. Download (708kB)

Abstract

Increasing reliance on the digital environment, along with the rapid evolution of technology, present unique challenges and opportunities for interaction, work, and education. In an era when children are increasingly interacting with online services, it is more critical than ever to protect their privacy and verify authenticity. To address this need, educators are consistently required to teach crucial cybersecurity skills to students, preparing them for success both as engaged social citizens and members of the workforce. However, there are challenges to the integration of cybersecurity education into secondary schools, including a lack of qualified teachers, limited cybersecurity resources, and an insufficient focus on this critical subject for young learners. This study aims to determine how cybersecurity is being integrated into the current curriculum and the challenges that educators face in teaching cybersecurity. The method provides an in-depth, comprehensive comparison of eleven national and international computer science curricula from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. The Cybersecurity Body of Knowledge (CyBOK) is a comprehensive guide to foundational cybersecurity knowledge that was developed through consultation with industry and academia. It was used as a foundational framework to focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of cybersecurity. This method incorporates a detailed content analysis of secondary education computing qualifications in relation to CyBOK’s knowledge areas. This study reveals distinct findings and potential gaps in the examined curricula while also highlighting the significant absence of a standardized cybersecurity framework in educational systems in secondary schools worldwide. Consequently, it identifies the substantial need for a standardized cybersecurity curriculum that addresses gaps in cybersecurity skills and provides teachers with the necessary training and resources to effectively teach cybersecurity to secondary school students.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Computer Science & Informatics
Publisher:	IATED
ISBN:	978-84-09-59215-9
ISSN:	2340-1079
Related URLs:	https://iated.org/archive/inted2024
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	24 October 2025
Date of Acceptance:	18 December 2023
Last Modified:	24 Oct 2025 13:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/181869

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item