Digital reading proficiency in german 15-year olds: evidence from PISA 2012

Abstract

The present study reports results on digital reading proficiency in German 15-year-old secondary students, based on the PISA 2012 computer-based assessment (N = 2785). We report mean performance in digital reading and relation with student background, availability of ICT, use of ICT, and attitudes towards ICT. With a mean score 494 points on the PISA scale, German students did not perform significantly different from the OECD average. However, their digital reading proficiency lagged significantly behind their print reading proficiency. A regression model with student background variables gender, immigrant status, and socio-economic status combined explained 13% of digital reading variance. ICT availability, use of ICT, and attitudes towards ICT combined explained 16% of variance. A regression model combining both student background and ICT availability, attitudes, and use explained 23% of variance. ICT availability and use had inversely u‑shaped relationship associations with digital reading proficiency.