ERIC Number: EJ1487387
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Nov
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1045-1595
EISSN: EISSN-2162-4070
Available Date: 0000-00-00
A Look at External Political Efficacy and the Role of Digital Skills in the Adults U.S. Population
Wonmai Punksungka1; Takashi Yamashita2; Donnette Narine3; Abigail Helsinger4; Phyllis A. Cummins5; Jenna W. Kramer6; Rita Karam7
Adult Learning, v36 n4 p215-229 2025
The ability to effectively use digital technology and problem-solve are critical skills for maintaining democratic health, particularly as civil society and the modern digital landscape continuously evolve. However, information on whether individuals have the critical problem-solving skills to use digital technology and confidently affect change is yet to be further explored. Using data from the 2017 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (n = 2749), we examined the associations between digital problem-solving skills and the three levels (low, neutral, high) of external political efficacy in the U.S. adult population. We used multinomial logistic regression and found a positive association between digital problem-solving skills and external political efficacy, while explanations for the three levels of efficacy are nuanced. Continuous development of digital problem-solving skills through adult education has implications for political efficacy, and ultimately for the promotion of a variety of civic engagement in the adult life stages.
Descriptors: Adults, Digital Literacy, Problem Solving, Self Efficacy, Political Attitudes, Political Socialization, Correlation, Individual Characteristics, Educational Background, Competence
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A200261
Department of Education Funded: Yes
Author Affiliations: 1Sociology and Anthropology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA; 2Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA; 3Gerontology Doctoral Program, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA; 4Discovery Center for Evaluation and Professional Learning, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA; 5Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA; 6RAND Corporation, Arlington, VA, USA; 7RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USA

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