Using Novel Structural Equation Models to Explore the Effect of Technology on Mathematics for Students in PISA 2015

• In Event: 77.015 - Canadian Educational Researchers' Association

Abstract

Students have more access to information and communications technologies (ICT) than ever before. Despite that, research shows that making technology available in schools does not necessarily enhance academic achievement. This has important ramifications for the development of future innovators ready to tackle complex 21st-century problems and to meet the acute ICT job demand. Research exploring the association between ICT and mathematics yields mixed results partially due to the lack of simultaneously estimated multiple group models. This research investigates whether technology use, comfort, and availability have a positive impact on students’ mathematics achievement by contrasting the novel alignment method with the traditional confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) method in the large international Program for International Student Assessment 2015 sample (n = 363,887). Findings revealed that increased comfort in ICT is associated with higher math achievement in both high- and low-achieving countries. Also, ICT use and availability were found to negatively correlate with math achievement in lower achieving countries. Implications can lead to better ICT implementations and meaningful integration in pedagogy and schoolwork. Further implications of this research will allow the comparison of larger groups in a single structural model and replication using the PISA 2018 database to detect trends between iterations.

Authors

• Bryce Odell, University of Alberta

• Adam Galovan, University of Alberta

• Okan Bulut, University of Alberta

• Maria Cutumisu, University of Alberta