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ICT Use at home for school-related tasks: what is the effect on a student’s achievement? Empirical evidence from OECD PISA data

Author

Listed:
  • Tommaso Agasisti
  • María Gil-Izquierdo
  • Seong Won Han

Abstract

In this paper, we have employed data from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, 2012 edition) on the EU-15 countries in order to investigate the effect of using ICT at home on achievement. By employing Propensity Score Matching, we provide robust evidence that in most countries there is a negative association between using computers intensely for homework and achieving lower test scores across all subjects. Such negative effect affects the achievement of both low- and high-performing students and is robust to a specification that consider unobservable self-sorting of students across schools. Our findings suggest that a more cautious approach should be taken with regards to the wide-spread use of digital innovation as a means to support students’ out-of-school work.

Suggested Citation

  • Tommaso Agasisti & María Gil-Izquierdo & Seong Won Han, 2020. "ICT Use at home for school-related tasks: what is the effect on a student’s achievement? Empirical evidence from OECD PISA data," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(6), pages 601-620, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:edecon:v:28:y:2020:i:6:p:601-620
    DOI: 10.1080/09645292.2020.1822787
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    Cited by:

    1. Agasisti, Tommaso & Antequera, Germán & Delprato, Marcos, 2023. "Technological resources, ICT use and schools efficiency in Latin America – Insights from OECD PISA 2018," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    2. Jeong, Dong Wook & Moon, Heewon & Jeong, Seol Mi & Moon, Chan Ju, 2024. "Digital capital accumulation in schools, teachers, and students and academic achievement: Cross-country evidence from the PISA 2018," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    3. Vargas-Montoya, Luis & Gimenez, Gregorio & Fernández-Gutiérrez, Marcos, 2023. "ICT use for learning and students' outcomes: Does the country's development level matter?," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PA).
    4. McCoy, Selina & Siedschlag, Iulia, 2025. "Digital skills and the impact of digital technologies in secondary education in the era of artificial intelligence," Papers WP800, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    5. Ferraro, Simona, 2018. "Is information and communication technology satisfying educational needs at school?," MPRA Paper 86175, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Vladana Djinovic & Nicholas Giannakopoulos, 2024. "Home computer ownership and educational outcomes of adolescents in Greece," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(4), pages 523-537, July.
    7. Yang, Minseok & Lee, Ho Jun, 2022. "Do school resources reduce socioeconomic achievement gap? Evidence from PISA 2015," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    8. Nerea Gómez-Fernández & Mauro Mediavilla, 2018. "Do information and communication technologies (ICT) improve educational outcomes? Evidence for Spain in PISA 2015," Working Papers 2018/20, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    9. Likun Mao & Sarah Grace See, 2025. "Early Exposure, ICT Use, and Teenage Well being Outcomes," CHILD Working Papers Series 121 JEL Classification: I, Centre for Household, Income, Labour and Demographic Economics (CHILD) - CCA.
    10. Yanjie He, 2025. "A Mixed-Methods Study of Curriculum Design and Student Awareness in Chinese Universities," International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies (IJWLTT), IGI Global Scientific Publishing, vol. 20(1), pages 1-17, January.
    11. Hong, Junjie & Liu, Wanlin & Zhang, Qing, 2024. "Closing the digital divide: The impact of teachers’ ICT use on student achievement in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 697-713.
    12. Nieves Gutiérrez-Ángel & Jesús-Nicasio García-Sánchez & Isabel Mercader-Rubio & Judit García-Martín & Sonia Brito-Costa, 2022. "Digital Competence, Validation and Differential Patterns between Spanish and Portuguese Areas as Assessed from the Latest PISA Report as a Pathway to Sustainable Education and Social Concerns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-24, October.
    13. Francesca Borgonovi & Magdalena Pokropek, 2021. "The evolution of the association between ICT use and reading achievement in 28 countries," DoQSS Working Papers 21-14, Quantitative Social Science - UCL Social Research Institute, University College London.
    14. Gómez-Fernández, Nerea & Mediavilla, Mauro, 2021. "Exploring the relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and academic performance: A multilevel analysis for Spain," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    15. Fang Dong & Maria Cornachione Kula, 2025. "Using Digital Devices for Fun: What are the Impacts on Academic Outcomes?," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 53(1), pages 73-104, June.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education

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