Toward an Education for Digital Safety Based on the Self-Perceived Competences of Pre-Service Teachers

Digital competences are essential to promoting internet users' appropriate, safe, responsible behavior, based on the digital society's needs. We examine self-perception of digital safety education in 1366 students pursuing five degrees in Education from a Spanish university, 2022-2023, by analyzing how these students perceive and understand digital safety through a nine-dimension questionnaire that stresses time management when using the internet, netiquette, knowledge of digital identity and reputation, attention to legislation on personal data protection, caution in sharing data on the internet, and promotion of responsible attitudes toward publishing content. Correlations with gender, age, and degree program show that women score higher on identity and men on digital reputation. Being over 25 years old is a differentiating factor in three of the five dimensions, and pursuing Primary Education or the double degree Primary Education-French Studies differentiates several. Overall, the findings suggest that more attention is needed to knowledge, skills, and attitudes in education for digital safety.