Psychological Literacy and Professional Competencies of Teachers

The primary aim of the study was to examine the relationships between components of psychological literacy – defined as the ability to apply psychological knowledge and principles in personal, social and professional contexts – and components of professional competencies in in-service teachers. Two cross-sectional studies were conducted with Slovak teachers ( N = 595 and N = 180), assessing psychological literacy (including psychological misconceptions, critical thinking dispositions, trust in science and ethical integrity) and self-perceived professional competencies (didactic competencies, teaching styles and interaction styles). Study 1 assessed misconceptions as knowledge accuracy, whereas Study 2 measured the degree to which teachers endorsed common psychological and educational beliefs. Across both studies, critical thinking dispositions – particularly critical openness and reflective scepticism – showed the most consistent associations with professional competencies. Psychological misconceptions were generally weakly and inconsistently related to professional competencies, although some learning myths demonstrated positive associations with several teaching practices. Trust in science and integrity showed a selective relationship with professional competencies. Overall, the findings suggest that dispositional aspects of psychological literacy, especially critical thinking, may be more strongly related to teachers’ professional self-perceptions than knowledge-based indicators alone.