Teaching competencies as a key element for educational achievement and equity: a PISA-based study

Teaching competencies are a fundamental element in promoting quality, equitable education. This paper aims to analyse how teaching competencies relate to academic achievement and educational equity. Using the PISA 2018 database, comprising a representative sample of 35,943 students and 21,621 teachers in Spain, the study proposes a multilevel predictive model of academic performance (at the student and school levels) based on teaching-related factors. In relation to academic performance, the results show that teacher satisfaction and adaptation of teaching are positively associated with performance; feedback and direct instruction, however, are negatively associated. As for educational equity, a positive interaction between family socioeconomic status and all teaching factors can be observed. Therefore, parallel to adequate professional teacher development, equitable and effective teaching-learning processes seem possible only through stronger political and school-level measures that promote equal opportunities.