Digital Literacy, Creative Thinking Disposition, And Generative Artificial Intelligence Literacy as Predictors of Academic Performance: A PLS-SEM, IPMA, and NCA Study of Pre-Service Visual Arts Teachers in Ghana

There is an increasing need in higher education that compels students to have integrated technological literacies. However, not much is known regarding the interaction between the concepts of digital literacy, generative AI (GenAI) literacy and creative thinking to establish their impact on academic performance in low-resource settings. In this research, the effect of these competencies on the academic performance of 258 pre-service visual arts teachers in Ghana was assessed independently and in combination with each other. The study was based on the concepts of Connectivism and Self-determination theory and involved the cross-sectional research design as well as the analysis of the respondents' results with the help of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in addition to Importance-Performance Analysis (IPMA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA). Findings have shown that disposition to creative thinking was the most predictive factor of academic performance, followed by digital literacy. GenAI literacy did not have direct influence but indirect influence through creative thinking. The general model explained 66% of variance in Academic performance. NCA further highlighted the three competencies as necessary conditions, with each having a basic threshold for optimum academic outcomes. The findings illustrate the interrelated nature of creativity, digital literacy and GenAI literacy in a technology-enhanced learning environment. The paper adds an African voice to the ongoing debates on 21st century competencies, providing empirical acumen for curriculum redesign in resource-constrained higher education settings. Keywords: generative artificial (GenAI) literacy, digital literacy, pre-service teachers, creative thinking disposition, nca