ICT and academic achievement in secondary education: A hierarchical linear modelling

• Published in: Journal of computer assisted learning Vol. 41; no. 1
• Main Authors: Fayda‐Kinik, F. Sehkar, Cetin, Munevver
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.02.2025; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: 21st‐century skills; Academic achievement; Access to Information; Attitudes; Autonomy; Education; Educational Objectives; Hierarchical Linear Modeling; hierarchical linear modelling (HLM); High Achievement; ICT in education; Influence of Technology; Information technology; Interpersonal Relationship; Learning; Low Achievement; Mathematics; Mathematics Achievement; Mathematics Education; Modelling; Outcomes of Education; Performance evaluation; PISA 2018; Policies; Quartiles; Reading Achievement; School Policy; Science; secondary education; Social interaction; Student attitudes; Student Improvement; Students
• ISSN: 0266-4909; 1365-2729
• DOI: 10.1111/jcal.13070

Background The unprecedented access to information in the 21st century entails a deep understanding of information and communication technology (ICT)‐related factors in education and their impacts on learning and teaching. The role of attitudes towards ICT is a proven factor in student achievement. However, there is no consensus about the direction of this impact. Objectives This study aimed to explore the relationship between student attitudes towards ICT including interest in ICT (INTICT), perceived ICT competence (COMPICT), perceived autonomy related to ICT use (AUTICT) and ICT in social interaction (SOIAICT), and their achievement scores for mathematics, reading, and science by analysing student‐, school‐, and country‐level factors hierarchically in the quartiles of performance. Methods The study group was determined as 300,279 15‐year‐old students from 21,903 schools in 53 countries. Descriptive and correlational analyses were carried out in addition to the hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) employed to reveal the relationship between attitudes towards ICT and academic achievement in mathematics, reading, and science through the investigation of student‐, school‐, and country‐level factors hierarchically in the quartiles of performance. Results and Conclusions The results detected moderate to weak relationships among the constructs of INTICT, COMPICT, AUTICT and SOIAICT. Based on the HLM findings, complex interactions between ICT attitudes and academic performance were identified with a tendency towards positive associations between specific attitude components and high achievement levels, particularly in mathematics and science. The research identified the significance of considering student‐, school‐, and country‐level factors for high, above‐average, below‐average, and low achievers to comprehensively understand the role of ICT attitudes in shaping educational outcomes. Takeaways Policymakers should design educational policies, subject‐specific strategies and ICT‐related interventions by considering the multifaceted factors influencing student performance across different subjects and achievement quartiles. Particularly at the school and country levels, contextual factors should be evaluated when designing interventions to support low achievers. Lay Description What is already known about this topic Attitudes towards information and communication technology (ICT) have a powerful impact on student learning. ICT has a significant role in academic achievement, but there is no consensus about the direction of this impact. Student‐, school‐, and country‐level factors significantly explain the variance in academic achievement at different degrees. The role of contextual factors in the relationship between ICT and achievement has varying outcomes. What this paper adds The study revealed moderate to weak relationships among interest in ICT (INTICT), perceived ICT competence (COMPICT), perceived autonomy related to ICT use (AUTICT), and ICT in social interaction (SOIAICT), and highlighted the complex dynamics within students' attitudes towards ICT. In mathematics, student‐level factors played a significant role in explaining achievement with positive associations for INTICT, COMPICT and AUTICT, and a negative relationship for SOIAICT among high, above‐average, and below‐average achievers. Country‐level factors had a limited impact on low achievers, but the relevance of ICT attitudes was found stronger at the individual and school levels. In reading, student‐level factors significantly explained the variance by showing positive associations for INTICT, COMPICT and AUTICT, and a negative relationship for SOIAICT among different achievement groups. Country‐level factors predominantly influenced high achievers, which suggests contextual factors in less proficient groups. In science, student‐level factors were significant with positive associations for INTICT, COMPICT and AUTICT, and a negative relationship for SOIAICT among high, above‐average, and below‐average achievers. Country‐level factors had a notable impact on high achievers while school‐level factors were more influential for low achievers. Implications for practice and/or policy Policymakers should consider the multifaceted factors when designing educational policies and interventions to improve students' performance in different subject areas and achievement quartiles. Educators and practitioners should recognise the distinctive relationships between the components of student attitudes towards ICT, such as INTICT, COMPICT, AUTICT and SOIAICT, and their impacts on their academic performance. Tailored approaches for nurturing these components can be developed to optimise the positive effects of ICT on learning. The varying impact of student‐, school‐ and country‐level factors across mathematics, reading and science requires subject‐specific strategies. Therefore, educators and practitioners can design subject‐specific interventions that account for these differences to support students' achievement across different disciplines. Current educational policies should be reconsidered when designing ICT‐based interventions, especially for low achievers because contextual factors may play a significant role in their academic outcomes.