How good do you think you are with computers? The link between teachers' perceived digital literacy, occupational efficacy, and psychological distress.

Abstract

The present study focused on teachers' perceived digital literacy, occupational self-efficacy, and psychological distress. Our sample included 279 Romanian teachers aged 20 to 66 (M = 31.92, SD = 11.72), with professional experience ranging from 1 to 46 years (M = 8.90). We tested a moderated mediated model, exploring occupational self-efficacy as a mediator of the relationship between perceived digital literacy (moderated by gender, controlling for age and professional experience) and psychological distress. Our findings suggested that higher levels of perceived digital literacy led to higher levels of occupational self-efficacy, which led to lower levels of psychological distress. Gender moderated this relationship, i.e., the observed indirect effects were significant for both genders, but the effects were stronger for male participants. We discuss our results concerning their practical implications for teachers' mental health and professional activity and the perspectives following the COVID-19 pandemic.