Measuring Information and Communication Technology Use and Its Impact on Students’ Mathematics Achievement

In recent years, there has been growing interest in how students’ interactions with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) impact academic performance, particularly in mathematics. This quantitative study examined the relationship between students’ ICT use and mathematics performance in Türkiye, using secondary data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. The sample consisted of 6,890 15-year-old students from 186 schools. The study used the PISA 2018 student questionnaire and mathematics assessment as the main instruments. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), and multi-group analysis was conducted to examine gender differences. The findings showed that mathematics performance was significantly related to both in-school and out-of-school ICT use. Students’ attitudes toward ICT, particularly interest and perceived competence, were also significantly associated with mathematics achievement and partially mediated the relationship between ICT use and achievement. Multi-group analysis revealed that most relationships were similar for boys and girls; however, perceived ICT competence predicted mathematics performance only among boys, and several pathways related to ICT attitudes differed by gender. These results enhance understanding of the role of ICT in mathematics achievement and offer important implications for educators and policy makers seeking to support effective ICT integration while addressing gender differences in technology engagement.