Global competence behavior: exploring the relevance of students’ scientific literacy, related attitudes, and values - evidence from PISA 2018 across 52 countries

Abstract Global competence behavior is increasingly recognized as a key prerequisite for navigating cultural diversity, engaging constructively with multiple perspectives, and contributing responsibly to global sustainability and collective well-being. Despite its acknowledged importance, findings from recent international large-scale assessments, such as PISA 2018, indicate that students do not consistently demonstrate global competence behaviors. Against this backdrop, the present study investigates the factors associated with global competence behavior using data from the PISA 2018 assessment of N = 399,321 students across N = 52 countries. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and employing a meta-analytic approach, we examine the roles of students’ attitudes, values, perceived behavioral control, and scientific literacy in shaping global competence behavior. The results highlight the central importance of attitudes toward global competence behavior and perceived behavioral control as consistent predictors across countries. In addition, the findings point to the relevance of behavioral intentions for understanding students’ global competence behaviors. Taken together, the results underscore the potential benefits of explicitly prioritizing global competence behavior within educational systems. Future research should focus on identifying and evaluating concrete strategies for effectively integrating global competence into educational practice, thereby better preparing students to meet the challenges of an increasingly interconnected world.