A MULTI-LEVEL MODEL OF SAFETY IN UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION

Abstract

This international study examines the determinants of teachers’ self-efficacy (perceived competence) in both pre-service preparation and in-service practice when teaching digital technologies to school pupils in Poland and Slovakia. The research investigated the relationships among personal computer competence, outcome expectancy of instruction, perceived digital literacy, and self-efficacy for teaching digital technologies, with particular emphasis on the dimension of school safety (rule compliance, management of disruptive behaviour, safe digital practices, and well-being). The theoretical framework is grounded in the social cognitive concept of self-efficacy, distinguishing between personal efficacy and outcome expectancy. Data were collected using a snowball sampling method through an online questionnaire and complemented by a content analysis of portfolios from compulsory teaching practice. The research design is qualimetric (quantitative–qualitative). The results of the regression models indicate the dominance of personal computer competence as a predictor of self-efficacy across research groups and highlight the importance of perceived digital literacy, particularly among in-service teachers. From the perspective of school safety, higher levels of self-efficacy are associated with the ability to guide pupils toward understanding rules, reduce disruptive behaviour, and stabilize a safe classroom climate, which is especially critical in linguistically and socially heterogeneous school environments.