Does ICT matter for complex problem-solving competency? A multilevel analysis of 33 countries and economies

Abstract

Despite a substantial body of research examining the relationships between ICT-related factors and student academic performance, there exists a notable gap in the literature regarding how students’ ICT use is associated with their complex problem-solving competency. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the connections between complex problem-solving competency and various ICT-related factors both in the home and school contexts. To unravel these relationships, this study employed a three-level multilevel modeling (MLM) analysis to analyze a large-scale dataset gathered from 33 countries and economies participating in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012. The final sample for data analysis included 194,701 14-year-old students from 900 schools. The results of the MLM analysis demonstrated that students who exhibited a greater openness for problem-solving were more likely to be complex problem-solving competent. However, the ICT availability at school and home and the ICT use intensity at school were negatively related to students’ complex problem-solving performance. Overall, in comparison with the factors within the student/home context, school ICT-related factors are less strongly associated with student complex problem-solving competency. Possible explanations for and implications of the findings were discussed.