Data literacy in Chilean and Spanish teacher education: a cross-sectional study of self-efficacy, digital competencies, and anxiety

This study explored the perceptions of self-efficacy, anxiety, and perceived digital competencies specifically related to data use among pre-service teachers and university faculty in Chile and Spain. A cross-sectional survey design was employed using a validated instrument administered during the second semester of 2023 and the first semester of 2024. Data were collected from 606 participants (512 pre-service teachers and 94 university faculty) through online and in-person procedures and analyzed using non-parametric statistics due to non-normality. The results showed that Chilean faculty exhibited higher self-efficacy in the interpretation and application of data compared to their Spanish counterparts. Additionally, Chilean pre-service teachers demonstrated greater self-efficacy than their Spanish peers across all scales. Contextual and cultural differences between the countries may explain some of the observed variations. This study highlights the need for future research to examine how institutional pressure, curricular frameworks, and other contextual variables influence the perception and use of data in educational decision-making, which should be considered in teacher education programs.