Students’ topic interest and its effect on their self-perceived digital and sustainability competencies and their perceived mode of acquisition

Goropečnik, Luka (avtor), Makovec Radovan, Danijela (avtor), Kristl, Nina (avtor), Kropivšek, Jože (avtor)

In an era defined by digital transformation and the pursuit of sustainability, education functions both as a reflection of societal change and as a catalyst for it. This study examines how students’ interest in topics of digital and sustainability competencies affects their self-perceived proficiency and the extent to which they attribute their competency acquisition to formal education. The research employs established frameworks for digital and sustainability competencies, along with a set of professional competencies. Data were collected from 453 final-year students enrolled in upper secondary vocational and technical education, short-cycle higher vocational education, bachelor’s, and master’s programs in wood science and technology education in Slovenia and analyzed using multiple regression models. All six competence dimensions identified through exploratory factor analysis showed significant positive effects of topic interest on self-perceived competence, with the strongest association observed for generic sustainability competencies. Topic interest also positively predicted the share of competencies students reported acquiring through formal education, with the largest effects for technical professional and generic sustainability competencies. These findings highlight topic interest as an important motivational factor shaping students’ perceptions of their digital and sustainability competencies, while the educator’s role appears especially crucial at this early stage of interest development for digital and sustainability topics.

• Jezik: Angleški jezik
• Ključne besede: topic interest, interest in digitaly topics, interest in sustainability topics, sustainability competencies, digital competencies, wood science and technology education, self-assessment, self-perception, education
• Vrsta gradiva: Članek v reviji
• Tipologija: 1.01 - Izvirni znanstveni članek
• Organizacija: BF - Biotehniška fakulteta ; FF - Filozofska fakulteta
• Status publikacije: Objavljeno
• Različica publikacije: Objavljena publikacija
• Leto izida: 2026
• Št. strani: Str. 1706–1724
• Številčenje: Vol. 21, iss. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178211
• UDK: 630*9
• ISSN pri članku: 1930-2126
• DOI: 10.15376/biores.21.1.1706-1724
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265558531
• Datum objave v RUL: 21.01.2026

Gradivo je del revije

• Naslov: Bioresources
• Založnik: Dept. of Wood and Paper Science, College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University
• ISSN: 1930-2126
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1618569

Sekundarni jezik

• Jezik: Slovenski jezik
• Ključne besede: vsebinski interes, interes za digitalne vsebine, interes za trajnostne vsebine, trajnostne kompetence, digitalne kompetence, izobraževanje na področju lesarstva, samopercepcija, samoocena, izobraževanje