Bridging the Digital Divide: Exploring the Problem-Solving Competences of Israeli Higher Education Adults in Technologically Rich Environments using PIAAC Data

• In Event: Equality and Equity in Higher Education

Proposal

The knowledge-based economy and the information society highlights the importance of developing new competencies for personal, professional, and social integration. Problem-solving in technologically rich environments (PS-TREs) is one of these competencies.
This research examines the relationships between socio-personal characteristics, higher education (HE), and the PS-TREs competencies in both professional and daily life contexts, focusing on individuals between the ages of 25 and 65 in Israel, using data of 5,342 participants in the PIAAC survey dataset.
Using logistic regression models, our findings indicate HE graduates acquire higher levels of PS-TREs. This result is positively mediated through risk factors such as being older or being a woman. Specifically, the probabilities of HE graduates utilizing PS-TREs at work and in daily life are higher compared to that of participants with lower level of education (3, and 3.27 times higher, respectively). We find gender and age disparities, favoring male and younger participants. The probabilities of females using PS-TREs at work, and in daily life are lower compared to male participants (70%, and 67%, respectively). Moreover, each additional year is correlated with a 4% decrease in the likelihood of using PS-TREs in daily life. However, the acquisition of higher education (HE) is associated with further narrowing of gaps, particularly in the context of work. This study highlights the importance of HE in reinforcing PS-TREs skills in adulthood to mitigate social and labor exclusion.

Authors

• Zehorit Dadon-Golan, Hemdat college of education and Rutgers University

• Iris BenDavid-Hadar, Bar Ilan University