Exploring the role of geography, gender and school type in shaping students’ digital self-efficacy

Students’ self-efficacy in using digital technologies is critical for academic engagement. While previous studies have examined digital self-efficacy among students, they have largely overlooked the impact of students’ location. This study therefore addresses this gap by examining rural–urban differences in students’ digital self-efficacy and the role of different levels of digital engagement, gender and school type. Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, the current study conducted a descriptive analysis, t-test and multiple linear regression to explore how digital self-efficacy varies among students. The descriptive statistics indicated a higher frequency of digital engagement in favour of male students and private school students. The t-test results revealed a significant rural–urban disparity in terms of digital self-efficacy in favour of urban students. The multiple linear regression revealed that gender, school type and level of digital engagement predict digital self-efficacy differently in different locations.