The relationship between ICT and student literacy in mathematics, reading, and science across 44 countries: A multilevel analysis

Abstract

This study conceptualized ICT as multi-level (country-, school-, and student-level) constructs and examined their relationships with student mathematics, reading, and scientific literacy. Three-level hierarchical linear models (HLM) were employed to analyse the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 data of 305,414 15-year-old students from 11,075 schools across 44 countries. The findings indicated that (i) national ICT skills had a more positive effect on student academic performance than did national ICT access and use; (ii) students ICT availability at school positively associated with student academic success, whereas student ICT availability at home negatively associated with student academic success; (iii) student ICT academic use negatively correlated with student performance, while ICT entertainment use positively correlated with student performance; and (v) student attitudes toward ICT demonstrated mixed effects on student academic success – specifically, student interest, competence, and autonomy in using ICT had positive correlations, while student enjoyment of social interaction around ICT had a negative correlation with student academic performance.