A canonical correlation analysis of the influence of access to and use of ICT on secondary school students’ academic performance

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the influence of access to and use of information and communication technology (ICT) on academic achievement and motivation. Data were collected from 300 students (12- to 16-year-old; 160 boys) from Sanandaj, Iran. The ICT Familiarity Questionnaire was used to assess the level of students’ access to and use of ICT at school and outside of school. Students’ Grade Point Average was considered as an indicator of academic achievement and their scores of Academic Motivation Scale as a measure of academic motivation. The findings revealed that students had more access to and use of ICT at home than school. The majority of participants reported that they used digital devices for the first time when they were between 7 and 10 years old. The students spent more time using the Internet outside of school during weekdays. They used digital devices more frequently for general than academic activities. The canonical analysis indicated that ICT-related factors are significantly correlated with academic performance. However, students’ access to and use of ICT at school was the most influential factors affecting academic achievement. Furthermore, access to ICT at school and using digital devices at an earlier age were the most contributing factors correlated with academic motivation.