The effect of individual differences in the inner and outer states of ICT on engagement in online reading activities and PISA 2009 reading literacy: Exploring the relationship between the old and new reading literacy

Abstract

With the prevalence of ICT, the concept of reading literacy has evolved to encompass both online reading and printed texts. This study clarifies the relationship between reading printed texts and online electronic texts from the perspective of individual differences in the inner and outer phases of ICT in a partial mediation model. We used the PISA 2009 data with 297,295 fifteen-year-old students (49.6% males) across 42 regions. The inner state of ICT represents students' attitude toward computers and confidence in high-level ICT tasks, whereas the outer state of ICT represents students' access to ICT facilities at home or school. The indirect results showed students' reading literacy improved with better attitude toward computers, confidence, and ICT availability at home, as long as the effect was mediated through engagement in online reading activities, even though availability of ICT at home had a direct and negative impact on PISA 2009 reading literacy.