Browsing by Author "Palimo, Inka"

The objective of this thesis was to look at how ICT affects test results in the PISA 2022 cycle in Finland, Belgium, South Korea, and Sweden. The focal point of the analysis was to find statistically significant factors that influence student academic performance in mathematics, reading, and science, one way or the other. The four countries selected for observation were chosen based on their similarity to Finland under certain pre-determined parameters. The goal was to choose countries homogeneous to Finland, to ensure the validity of the results and make them as comparable as possible. The analysis was conducted as a two-level hierarchical regression model and run individually for each country, first with replication weights and then without them. A total of eight independent variables (ICTEFFIC, ICTENQ, ICTHOME, ICTSCH, RELATST, STRATIO, GENDER, ESCS) were picked for the model based on their significance in previous research and their applicability to answer the research question of this thesis. The analysis was conducted in RStudio. The results indicated that the independent variables were statistically significant at least in one country and subject, often in more than one. Two variables were consistently positive and statistically significant in every country and subject: Economic, social, and cultural background (ESCS) and the quality of student-teacher relationships (RELATST). The different ICT factors had varying results based on the country and subject. Self-efficacy in ICT was the only variable with a consistently positive impact, though it wasn’t statistically significant in all cases. ICT availability and usage at home and school had differentiating results in statistical significance and depending on the country, the effects were positive or negative. Using ICT for enquiry-based learning activities had similar results. In conclusion, variables with a consistent, positive impact – ESCS and RELATST – on student academic performance should be considered as priority by policymakers, schools, and teachers. To solve the reasons behind the between-country differences, further research is required. This includes additional investigation on the learning methods and environments between different countries.