Influence of ICT on the school performance of vulnerable students

Abstract

The contemporary educational system is influenced by migratory movements, as well as the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The goal of the work is to analyze the influence of ICT on the school performance of vulnerable students. To do this, the relationships between school performance and the student’s country of origin, the Internet connection at home and the daily use of digital devices are studied. Supported by the comparative education research methodology, representative samples of the populations of Spain, the member countries of the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are contrasted. Descriptive statistics support the results obtained. The variables daily participation in social networks, daily participation in online games, daily reading of online news, and the average grade for Science and Mathematics, respectively, are analyzed. The findings show that in Spain there is low school performance related to the origin of the student; Internet connection at home and that daily use of digital devices can be beneficial, if the exposures are moderate and controlled.