Digital literacy and ICT use: key predictors of mathematics achievement in schoolchildren

Despite the widespread integration of ICT into education, research linking students’ eve-ryday ICT use to mathematics performance has yielded inconsistent results. A key gap inthe existing literature is the limited attention to factors such as actual digital literacy andthe specific purposes for which ICT is used. This study addresses this gap by examiningthe relationship between students’ performance in the International Computer and Informa-tion Literacy Study (ICILS) and their results in the national mathematics assessment. Theanalysis is based on data from 2309 students who participated in the national mathemat-ics assessment in fifth grade and again took both the ICILS and the national mathemat-ics assessment in eighth grade. A structural equation model incorporating the study vari-ables explained 43% of the variance in students’ mathematics scores. After controlling forsocioeconomic status (SES) and prior mathematics achievement, the findings indicate thatdigital literacy significantly contributes to mathematics performance. Specifically, studentswith higher ICILS scores at the beginning of the school year achieved better mathematicsoutcomes by the end. In contrast, the frequency of ICT use for study or social commu-nication was not linked to digital literacy or improved mathematics performance. Thesefindings suggest that enhancing students’ ICT skills is a promising strategy for improvingmathematics performance. The study highlights that growing up with digital devices doesnot automatically equate to sophisticated digital skills. It supports the argument that thefocus of the “digital divide” should shift toward differences in the development of digitalskills, rather than merely access to technology.