Self-efficacy and academic commitment as predictors of digital skills in peruvian university students

Abstract

Digital skills are essential for university students' academic and professional development as they face an increasingly digitalized environment. These skills have become an essential requirement in the educational and labor fields. The study aimed to determine how self-efficacy and academic engagement predict the digital competencies of university students. Using a quantitative approach, the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student were applied; the sample consisted of 650 university students between 18 and 50 years of age, and a structural equation model analysis was conducted. The results confirmed that academic self-efficacy and engagement are significantly related to digital competencies. However, self-efficacy had a more substantial influence (β = .51, ρ < .001) than engagement (β = .08, ρ < .05). In addition, the resulting model presented adequate adjustment indices χ2 (153) = 13007.9, ρ<.001. CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = .000, SRMR = .030, allowing the acceptance of the study hypothesis. In conclusion, self-efficacy and engagement predict, on average, 26.65% of the variability of digital competencies. This finding suggests that university decision-makers should consider these factors when designing educational strategies that adapt to the needs of a digitally advanced academic environment and expand the processes of digital competencies.