Assessing ICT Competence in Senior High Schools via Data Analytics

This study systematically evaluates the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) competence among 353 senior high school students at Victorias National High School, Philippines, utilizing UNESCO-based assessments and a rigorous data analytics approach. Employing a quantitative descriptive-correlational design, the research incorporated descriptive statistics to establish baseline proficiency, Pearson correlation to analyze access-proficiency relationships, and K-means clustering to segment students into distinct proficiency groups. Participants were selected through a stratified random sampling method to ensure proportional representation across gender, academic strands, and socioeconomic backgrounds, with ethical approval obtained from the State University of Northern Negros. Key findings reveal significant disparities in digital access, where 12% of students relying on unstable public networks despite a high 97% device ownership rate, highlighting a persistent digital divide ; strong positive correlations were identified between internet access frequency and ICT proficiency (r=0.695, p<0.001), and between the diversity of digital tools used and overall ICT competency (r=0.504) ; and furthermore, the study successfully identified three distinct ICT proficiency clusters: a High Proficiency group (12.2%), a dominant Moderate Proficiency group (70.0%), and a Low Proficiency group (17.8%), with these clusters being predictably influenced by students' access and usage patterns. The results unequivocally demonstrate that achieving equitable digital competence necessitates a dual approach: addressing fundamental infrastructure gaps, particularly reliable home internet access, and implementing targeted skill-building opportunities, such as training in advanced digital tools. This research not only provides a replicable framework for identifying and supporting at-risk student populations within resource-constrained educational settings but also offers actionable insights for policymakers and educators to bridge existing digital divides in secondary education.