Factors influencing the digital competence of students in basic vocational education training

Abstract

Digital competence (DC) is essential in order for individuals to actively participate in all sectors of society. While high school students’ DC has been studied extensively, few studies have examined DC in vocational education and training (VET). To address this gap, a study in the context of the Basque Autonomous Community was carried out with the objectives of measuring Basic VET students’ DC perceptions and investigating the factors that have an impact on Basic VET students’ DC. Descriptive and multilevel analyses were conducted. The results indicate a need to focus on enhancing Basic VET students’ DC, as these skills are critical for their professional development. Furthermore, school predictors were found to be the strongest predictors of students’ DC, followed by attitude toward information and communication technologies and the frequency of technology use for school-related and personal purposes. This study provides knowledge that could help educational institutions identify areas for further improvement in fostering students’ DC, and provides policy makers with a comprehensive understanding of the present situation of VET students’ DC.

The first author acknowledges the support of the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences, Mondragon University [HUHEZI202303]. The first and third authors acknowledge funding awarded by the Basque Government [IKERHEZI IT1664-22]. The fourth author acknowledges the support of the Grant RYC2019-028398-I funded by MCIN/AEI/https://doi .org/10.13039/501100011033 and FSE “El FSE invierte en tu futuro”.