Effect of ICT Use, Parental Support and Student Hindering on Science Achievement: Evidence from PISA 2018

Abstract

We aimed to examine the effect of ICT use, parental support and student hindering on science achievement in Turkey, USA and South Korea with using PISA 2018 data. PISA is one of the biggest international assessment study aiming comparison of students’ academic capabilities in science, mathematics and reading among participant countries. For this purpose, we classified variables related to student -ICT use out of school for leisure, ICT use in classroom, perceived family support, students’ hindering behaviors, gender and ESCS on student achievement- as (i) student level and (ii) school level. Approximately 710.000 students representing nearly 32 million students from 79 participating countries completed the PISA 2018 assessment in all over the world. Number of participants were 6890 in 186 schools for Turkey, 4838 in 164 schools for USA and 6650 in 188 schools for South Korea. We used a two-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) to determine the effect of parents’ emotional support, student hindering behavior, ICT use in classroom and ICT use out of school for leisure on science achievement. Two students’ background variables (gender and economic, social and cultural status) were controlled for student levels. Two level HLM results indicated that gender of the students has a significant effect on science achievement in Turkey but no significant effect in USA and South Korea. Additionally, family socio-economic status had a significant positive effect on students’ science achievement in all three counties. We also found that in all three countries, family support had a positive influence on science achievement. Results indicated that student-hindering behavior had a negative effect on science achievement for all three countries. In USA, an increase in ICT usage had a very strong negative effect on science achievement. On the contrary, ICT usage out of school for leisure had a positive effect on science achievement in Turkey. There was no significant effect in South Korea.