The digital divide and academic achievement

Purpose – This paper aims to find out the degrees of students' access to computers and the internet, and to explore the relationship between technology accessibility and academic achievement. Design/methodology/approach – The research, conducted through questionnaires, focuses on fifth‐grade students in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area because state‐mandated test results for core subjects are available at the state Department of Education web site. Thus, it allows the researchers to collect data on both technology accessibility and academic achievement. Findings – The findings show that the digital divide still exists, cutting through various socioeconomic factors, and that the relationship between technology accessibility and academic achievement may also exist, although it is very much complicated by other compounding factors, such as the subjects of learning, the uses of technology, and socioeconomic conditions. It is hoped that the findings of this research can help policy makers, school administrators and teachers better understand the issues of digital divide and the consequences of technology use in schools and beyond. Originality/value – This study addresses the problem of digital divide in the public school system and investigates how it affects students' academic achievement.