Digital Competence, Validation and Differential Patterns between Spanish and Portuguese Areas as Assessed from the Latest PISA Report as a Pathway to Sustainable Education and Social Concerns

Abstract

PISA reports aim both to analyze and describe the educational reality of each countryand to assess different academic competences, including digital competence. In this paper, we arecommitted to the vision of digital literacy as an indispensable element of sustainable educationand social concerns, which, together with the environment, the economy, social justice and humanrights, form the basis of the concept of sustainability. From this point of view, it is considered that animprovement in digital competence has a positive impact on the use made of ICT and also on its linkwith sustainable development. The aim of this research is to comparatively analyze the results interms of literacy itself, digital skills and digital resources and experiences according to the PISA 2018report in four OECD countries: Spain, Portugal, Colombia and Brazil, specifically, two Latin countries(Brazil and Colombia) and two Hispanic countries (Spain and Portugal), and for the enjoymentin the use of digital devices between one country in each area (Brazil and Spain). The sample iscomposed of 54,323 participants (18,073 participants from Brazil and Colombia, Latin America, and36,250 from Spain and Portugal, Iberian Peninsula), using as an instrument the surveys developedand implemented in the PISA 2018 dataset for the OECD sample, which is related to some aspect ofdigital skills. The main findings of this study confirm that the variables related to digital resources,digital literacy and digital skills are statistically significant in the four countries. Therefore, in view ofthis, we want to support the promotion of digital competence as a key element in the sustainable,educational and social development of a community. At a pedagogical level, this means that weare committed to different specific programs, innovative educational practices and the creation ofresources that promote inclusion and educational quality, focusing on social concerns and the fit ofeach country and area for promoting sustainable education.