What parents need to know
Analysis of PISA 2018 data revealed “educational ICT resources are significantly and negatively correlated with student academic performance.” The more technology schools provide, the worse students perform.
Full Citation
Wang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2023). Exploring the relationship between educational ICT resources, student engagement and academic performance: A multilevel structural equation analysis based on PISA 2018 data. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 77, 101254.
Publication Type
Peer-reviewed research article published in Studies in Educational Evaluation, using large-scale international assessment data
What They Studied
Researchers conducted a sophisticated multilevel structural equation analysis using data from PISA 2018, one of the world’s largest international assessments of student achievement. The study examined the relationship between schools’ investment in educational Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources, student engagement levels, and academic performance in reading, mathematics, and science across multiple countries.
Key Findings
- “The results revealed that educational ICT resources are significantly and negatively correlated with student academic performance”
- The relationship is not merely neutral – it’s actively negative: schools with more technology resources see worse academic outcomes
- This finding held true even after controlling for other factors that might influence performance
- The negative correlation suggests that increasing technology investment may actually harm rather than help student learning
- Student engagement, often cited as a benefit of technology, did not translate into improved academic performance
- The large-scale PISA data provides robust evidence across diverse educational contexts and countries
- The findings directly contradict the widespread assumption that providing more technology resources improves learning outcomes
- Schools may be experiencing negative returns on technology investment – spending more to achieve less
