Analysis of academic performance and mental health of secondary school students by access to technological resources

Abstract

Access to digital resources and academic performance (AP) are variables of great interest in today’s society. However, studies are needed to delve into the association between them and mental health. This study aims to a) find out if there are differences in AP based on access to digital resources (mobile, computer, Internet access and time spent on the Internet). b) Establish student profiles according to their AP and access or not to said digital resources and, finally, analyze the relationship of these profiles with mental health. A sample of 1,448 Spanish Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO) and Baccalaureate students was selected, of which 708 were men (48.90 %), with a mean age of 14.5 years (SD = 1.57). A sociodemographic questionnaire was used, grades in the previous year were measured, and the SDQ scale was used to measure mental health. The RA is positively influenced by the time of Internet connection, access to the computer, Internet and mobile. However, the differences between students with a good AP and a low AP are not exclusively associated with access to digital resources but with the presence of mental health difficulties. Students with low AP have greater emotional difficulties, hyperactivity, behavior problems and problems with peers. Finally, it seems that emotional problems stand out exclusively in those students with low AP who have digital resources, so it could be the most relevant variable for future educational interventions.