Study in brief 

The study adopted a mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design across 14 schools and 28 matched classes (one eTwinning class and one control class per school, taught by the same teacher in the same subject). Competence development was examined across five transversal key competences—Personal, Social and Learning-to-Learn; Citizenship; Entrepreneurship; Cultural Awareness and Expression; and Digital Competence—using three complementary evidence sources: student self-assessment questionnaires (pre/post), teacher assessment grids (pre/post), and monthly teacher logbooks documenting implementation and competence-relevant classroom processes. 

All instruments were aligned to a shared competence taxonomy and analysed through a standardised, reproducible workflow. Beyond DigComp 2.2 (used for Digital Competence), the study developed competence frameworks and operational descriptors for the other key competences by extending a DigComp-like logic (areas → specific competences → proficiency progression), enabling coherent measurement, scoring, and reporting across domains. 

Key results (synthetic) 

Across the five competence domains, students participating in eTwinning showed a consistent advantage in competence development compared with the matched control condition. This pattern was observed in both outcome sources, students’ self-evaluation questionnaires and teachers’ evaluations. Qualitative evidence (open-ended questionnaire responses and teacher logbooks) helped contextualise these findings by documenting how competence-related behaviours became more visible and enacted in eTwinning project settings.