Transfer of self-efficacy: ICT self-efficacy and reading self-efficacy mediate the effect of ICT use on reading achievement

Past studies have explored the non-linear relationship between ICT use and reading achievement, primarily focusing on secondary school students. However, there is a lack of research examining this relationship among primary school students, who are at a critical stage in their reading development. Furthermore, the crucial transfer mechanism from students' ICT self-efficacy to their reading self-efficacy has been overlooked in the relationship between ICT use and reading achievement. Inspired by Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, this research investigated the non-linear associations between ICT use and reading achievement, as well as the transfer of self-efficacy beliefs. A large, representative sample of 3830 Hong Kong fourth-grade students from PILRS 2021 was used in the analyses. The results indicated that students who used ICT to find and read information for 30 min or less demonstrated higher reading achievement than those who did not use ICT. However, using ICT for over 30 min showed no direct association with reading achievement compared to the shorter usage. In contrast, for preparing reports and presentations using ICT, students using ICT for 30 min or less had no significant impact on reading achievement compared to non-users, while those using ICT for over 30 min showed improved reading achievement compared to the shorter usage. Our findings extend Bandura's theory into the digital era, underscoring the transfer of students' self-efficacy from the ICT domain to the reading domain.