Competence beliefs using technology in school and teaching - How can we use variance and covariance to identify teachers’ profiles?

This study aims to cluster teachers based on their professional digital competence beliefs using Latent-Profile-Analysis (LPA) and to examine relations to teacher and school characteristics. We also explore the significance of two approaches to varying the variance-covariance-matrix (VCM). Data from n = 698 German teachers was used. We identified a relatively low, medium, and relatively high profile. The means of competence beliefs and the links to teacher and school characteristics between both approaches differed. Across analysis, however, higher age, lower interest, and being female predicted the probability of being in the relatively low profile relative to the other profiles. • Teachers show three heterogenous professional digital competence belief profiles (relatively low, medium, relatively high). • Important to consider the variance-covariance structure in Latent Profile Analysis. • Different assumptions on (co)variances lead to differing profile distributions. • Many teachers do not feel very competent in technology-assisted assessment. • Teachers' characteristics, e.g., age, predict their classification to certain profiles.