ICT, learning environment and student characteristics as potential cross-country predictors of academic achievement

• Published in: Education and information technologies Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 7135 - 7159
• Main Author: Erdogdu, Funda
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Access to Computers; Achievement Tests; Analysis; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computers and Education; Correlation; Cross Cultural Studies; Discipline; Economic Factors; Education; Educational Environment; Educational materials; Educational Quality; Educational Technology; Equipment and supplies; Family Environment; Foreign Countries; Income; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Information Technology; International Assessment; Internet; Learning; Outcomes of Education; Political Influences; Predictor Variables; School environment; Scores; Secondary School Students; Student Attitudes; Student Characteristics; Student School Relationship; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Student Relationship; Teaching; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction; PISA; ICT; Applications in subject areas; Secondary education; Educational achievement
• ISSN: 1360-2357; 1573-7608
• DOI: 10.1007/s10639-021-10848-x

The main drive for this study is to look into potential predictors of educational achievement using OECD’s original Pisa 2018 dataset. This paper explores (i) access to ICT, (ii) physical characteristics of learning environment at school, (iii) quality of teaching staff and educational material, (iv) student characteristics and learning climate, and (v) political and economic structure of the country as potential true predictors of academic achievement. Our sample covers 41 countries and data used in our analysis are collected from 282,461 students distributed in 9,317 schools worldwide. Multiple linear regressions are developed and analyzed using stepwise estimation techniques. The results indicate that (i) availability of internet connection and enjoyable pastime activity at home have positive impacts on student’s success, (ii) a strong correlation exists between high test scores and student characteristics & learning climate, i.e. students’ sense of belonging at school, students’ fear of failure and disciplinary climate, (iii) there is a negative relationship between academic performance and teacher enthusiasm & support, (iv) student success is negatively correlated with income level and political and economic freedoms but positively associated with economic competitiveness of a country, and (v) the students in lightly populated classes are more successful than those in overloaded ones and inadequate or poor educational material deteriorates educational outcomes.