The Impact of ICT on Student Engagement and Achievement in

Higher Education Classroom Environments

Amy Sanday

School of Education, Western Sydney University.

Assessment One for Researching, Teaching & Learning, 102097.

Degree: Masters in Secondary Education.

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The Impact of ICT on Student Engagement and Achievement in Higher Education

Classroom Environments

Literature Review

Despite massive developments and improvements to Information Communication

Technologies (ICT) since their establishment in our modern society and education facilities,

previous research and literature has failed to find a clear correlation between improvements in

student engagement and achievement and the use of ICT in educational environments. Results

from studies into the impact of ICT on student engagement and achievement has found either

negative results, no changes in results, or positive results, therefore the overall impact of ICT on

student engagment and achievement is inconclusive. However, throughout the previous literature

regarding ICT in education, there are three main reasons that have prevailed as reasons for the

disparity in results. These include; methods and practices of ICT integration into the classroom;

and teacher and student levels of ICT skills, personal beliefs, and digital literacy. Whilst

engagement and achievement are two separate subjects, there is a direct correlation between the

engagement of students in class and their academic achievements, therefore in this research

report both subjects will be studied concurrently.

Methods and Practices of ICT Integration into the Classroom

A common theme that arises within the literature is the impact of effective ICT integration in the

classroom, as well as a balance between online learning and traditional teaching methods, and

how this impacts engagement and achievement.

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Comi, Argentin, Hui, Origa, & Pagani (2017) conducted research into the way in which teachers

used ICT in their classrooms and found differing results of student engagement and achievement

that depended on the way in which ICT was used in learning.

They noted that the availability of ICT educational devices did not impact on the engagement

and achievement of students, however the practice of using these devices in the classroom had an

impact, and that overuse of ICT in schools had detrimental effects on engagement and

achievement. Falck, Mang, & Ludger (2015) researched the different uses of ICT in the

classroom and found results that correlated with the findings of Comi, et al (2017) in that using

ICT in the classroom to substitute more effective, traditional practices, and vice versa, would

cause a decline in student engagement and achievement. They noted that to improve student

performance and achievement, ICT use must be recognized as either being productive or

unproductive when compared with traditional teaching practices and teaching specific skills, and

teachers must recognize the different and use ICT or traditional methods accordingly, as well as

maintaining differentiation in learning activities. Erdogdu & Erdogdu (2015) also found similar

results in their literature, and concluded that students who were using ICT to complete

schoolwork whilst at school rather than using traditional skills and methods, were seeing their

engagement and achievement drop. However, in Steffens (2014) research he noted that whilst

high ICT usage in the classroom was related to low Program for International Student

Achievement (PISA) results, so was low ICT usage, and therefore concluded that the benefits of

ICT was only applicable up to a certain point, and depended on the demographic and skill level

of the students. Regarding online learning and traditional learning, Alton-Lee (2003) also found

results to support Comi, et al (2017) in that ICT by itself is an ineffective teaching and

engagement tool, and must be aligned with both curriculum goals as well as traditional
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pedagogical practice to improve student motivation, engagement, and achievement. Lim, Kim,

Chen & Ryder (2008) also found the same in their research results, noting that the integration of

ICT alongside traditional instruction improved communication, access to resources, student

satisfaction, engagement, and achievement. They also noted that to improve student engagement

and achievement, online material needs to be well-designed and scaffolded, and that ICT as an

instructional device can be more engaging for students than traditional teaching instruction.

Another factor impacting on the performance and achievement of students is the way in which

teachers use ICT for backstage activities, which included using ICT to prepare complete and

attractive lessons and content, customize learning to the needs of their students, and improve

motivation and behavior through visual appeals. Youssef & Dahmani (2008) noted in their

research that when ICT was used to both create lessons outside of the classroom, and assist

learning in the classroom, that classes personalized to the students showed improvements in

student engagement and achievement. However, their research was based on ICT use in the

classroom using collaborative activities and interactions between students and the teacher,

therefore a personalized ICT learning experience would possibly show null results to student

engagement achievement without collaboration and interaction. Following on from Youssef &

Dahmani (2008), Comi, et al (2017) also noted that when teachers implemented ICT as a means

of allowing communication and collaboration between teachers, students, and parents, that

student engagement and achievement increased. This is further supported by the previous

findings of Skryabin, et al (2015) in that ICT is an effective means for teachers to build

communities and collaborate to improve the quality of their education. Lastly, Comi, et al (2017)

noted that improvements to student engagement and achievement using ICT was only beneficial

for certain subjects where the use if ICT was relevant to the content and skills needed in the
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subject. Skryabin, Zhang, Lui, & Zhang (2015) noted from their research that ICT was especially

helpful in the subject of Mathematics, where ICT was used to employ computer programs that

assisted students with their learning of key mathematical problems and terms. They also found

that whilst ICT showed a large impact on the learning of students in Mathematics, for other

subjects such as English there was no benefits. However, these results are questionable due to the

variables of student ICT skills and the way in which ICT was integrated into the classroom.

Lastly, referring to Comi, et al (2017) and the disengaging overuse of ICT in the classroom,

Chandra & Lloyd (2008) had correlating findings in their research into ICT use in the classroom,

noting that an overuse of ICT caused a lack of focus during a task after an extended period.

Teacher and Student Levels of ICT Skills, Personal Beliefs, and Digital Literacy.

Throughout the literature there is a common belief that ICT fails as an engaging

educational device when teachers and students lack the skills and competencies to use ICT

effectively, have conflicting beliefs regarding the use of ICT in the classroom, and have poor

digital literacy.

Skryabin, et al (2015) have extensive research into this subject in their literature. They

firstly outline that ICT is helpful in increasing engagement, opportunities for learning, and

reducing the socioecomic factors of students. However, this statement is contracted against by

Youssef & Dahmani (2008), who found in their research that socioeconomic factors of students

and teachers were the greatest factors on the negative engagement and achievement results of

students. Skyrabin, et al (2015) also note that student engagement with ICT at home has the

potential to increase engagement and achievement in English and Mathematics at school.

However, other theorists have noted negatives in ICT use by students and teachers at home.
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Falck, et al (2015) notes that there is a large difference in computer use between school and

home for both teacher and students, whereby ICT at home is generally recreational and therefore

important ICT skills, techniques, and attitudes are not being learnt. Erdogdu & Erdogdu (2015)

received correlating evidence in their research that students and teachers with ICT access at

home have greater engagement and achievement with ICT At school, and that ICT use at home

inherently improved engagement and achievement in reading, Mathematics and Science. Steffens

(2014) noted in his research that ICT use at home was higher than that at school, with an 80%

use at home and 60% use at school, however in contradiction to previous research, he noted that

the ICT use at home was more frequent but less related to school work and therefore should not

inherently impact engagement and achievement at school. Skryabin, et al (2015) discuss that

teacher and student familiarity with ICT is a potential reason for the disparity in results regarding

student engagement and achievement when ICT is used in the classroom. Chandra & Lloyd

(2008) also noted this in their research, stating that engagement and achievement regarding ICT

in the classroom was heavily influenced by both the adoption of ICT in the learning environment,

as well as the comfort levels both teacher and student had with ICT learning. Falck, et al (2015)

takes this research further and discusses that teacher and student familiarity with ICT is largely

impacted by their backgrounds, and thus those that are disadvantaged may find it harder to utilize

ICT in the classroom, and therefore both engagement and achievement drops. Youssef &

Dahmani (2008) also heavily advocate for teachers to engage and use ICT in the classroom to

enhance engagement and achievement, stating that teachers can learn the important ICT skills

and values through using ICT, and that it is inherently important for students to learn new skills

and competencies from their teachers to increase engagement and achievement. Skryabin, et al

(2015) also note that student engagement and achievement in reading and literacy improved
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when the teachers and students showed positive attitudes and confidence towards using ICT in

the classroom and at home, however this relationship would become negative or null if the

students and school lacked the socioeconomic factors to foster the positive attitudes and

confidence needed to effectively use ICT to benefit engagement and achievement. Comi, et al

(2017) received further results that correlate with the results of Skryabin, et al (2015), in that

they noted that teacher and student levels of ICT, digital literacy and personal beliefs had a major

impact on student engagement and achievement. Comi, et al (2017) found that two out of three

teachers were in favor of using ICT in the classroom, whilst one in three believed that ICT had

brought an important change in teaching. These beliefs and attitudes of teachers towards the use

of ICT as a pedagogical tool has an inherent impact on the engagement and achievement of

students. As well as the teachers that disregard ICT as a learning tool, the teachers who are in

favor of using ICT may misuse or overuse ICT and thus have a negative impact on the

engagement and achievement of their students. Chandra & Lloyd (2008) also noted the attitudes

and beliefs of both students and teachers, stating that some students had the same perspective as

some teachers in that teaching should be teacher-centered and instructive rather than student-

centered and self-guided, which inherently impacts if ICT is used and how it is used in the

classroom.

Data Collection Protocol.

For the collection of data for this research report, it will be a qualitative data approach

using observation of at least five different active classrooms utilizing ICT in their teaching and

learning strategies. Whilst observing a collection of classes from different year and academic

levels, notes will be taken on the processes and happenings of the classroom regarding ICT use

in the following lenses for making observation: frequency of ICT use; integration, methods, and
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practices of ICT use; levels of student engagement; student task achievement and completion;

and confidence and levels of ICT skills in both teacher and students. Field notes will be taken

using the previous lenses as headings, with observation notes being recorded with time stamps

proceeding the notes. When reviewing the field notes, any themes or trends that match these

criteria will be sorted into the following comparison table to show and changes in student

engagement and achievement when influenced by differing uses of ICT in the classroom. After

this data has been organized, a summary will be given of the overall levels of engagement and

achievement in the class, and how this may correlate or contrast with given evidence in previous

literature claims. Classes, teachers, and students will be referred to by letters and numbers to

retain anonymity;

Class Frequency Integration, Student Task Confidence Overall

of Use Methods, Engagement Achievement and Skill Summary
Practices and Levels of
Completion ICT
A
B
C
D
E

Teachers being observed will require to give consent on the provided Western Sydney

University consent form before any observation takes place, and all information will be kept

anonymous.

Variables for the data will be taken based on the context of the school and class, such as

socioeconomic factors outlined in the literature, and ICT resources within the school.

Data Collection Protocol Explanation.

The data collection protocol has been based on several factors, mainly influenced by the

evidence given from the literature. Firstly, the method of observation was chosen due to the large
THE IMPACT OF ICT ON STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT 9

amount of evidence in the literature that relates to classroom practices using ICT, therefore it was

decided that using classroom observation of both students and teachers in action would provide

accurate data on the engagement and achievement of students when ICT Is used in an

educational classroom setting. Falck, et al (2015) also noted that using observation reduces bias

in schools, and there is an understanding of both the context of the class and school, therefore

variables can be taken into consideration when reviewing data. Secondly, the lenses for

observation were narrowed down from the evidence given from the literature review. The key

themes within the literature outlined the following summarized findings:

Frequency of ICT use: negative impact if used to low or too high, moderate use

alongside traditional teaching practices.

Integration, methods, and practices: traditional methods for practicing skills, ICT

for research or content.

Levels of student engagement: lack of focus on the task, focused and

communication, focused and interacting with students and teachers.

Task achievement and completion: task was achieved and completed or students

became distracted or off-topic and failed to complete the task.

Confidence and skill levels in using ICT: teachers confidence and skills in

creating, using, and presenting ICT, students confidence and skills in creating,

using, and presenting ICT.

These lenses for observation will be used to assess the effectiveness of ICT use and

correlate or contradict the findings of the literature based on viewing the practice of ICT use in

an active environment.
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Lastly, this data collection protocol contributes to the groups overarching topic of The

Impact of ICT on Student Engagement in the Classroom as it is observing teaching using ICT in

action and evaluating the effectiveness of frequency, integration, practices, confidence, and skill

levels on the engagement of students, whilst also taking into consideration of how engaging

students influences student achievement. Whilst the other topics focus on surveys and interviews

to assess the accessibility, attitudes and application of ICT in the classroom, this observation

views the use of ICT in the classroom in actions and evaluates the data gained alongside the

evidence of the literature to give a final assessment of the effectiveness of using ICT in the

classroom to engage students.

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References

Alton-Lee, A. (2017). Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence

Synthesis. In Building Teacher Quality (pp. 24-37). Melbourne: ACER. Retrieved from

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a226/fa28642de462d520cfeaab9b283898d909e5.pdf

Chandra, V., & Lloyd, M. (2008). The methodological nettle: ICT and student

achievement. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 39(6), 1087-1098.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00790.x

Comi, S., Argentin, G., Gui, M., Origo, F., & Pagani, L. (2017). Is it the way they use it?

Teachers, ICT and student achievement. Economics Of Education Review, 56, 24-39.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2016.11.007

Erdogdu, F., & Erdogdu, E. (2015). The impact of access to ICT, student background and

school/home environment on academic success of students in Turkey: An international

comparative analysis. Computers & Education, 82, 26-49.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.10.023

Falck, O., Mang, C., & Woessmann, L. (2017). Virtually No Effect? Different Uses of Classroom

Computers and their Effect on Student Achievement. Oxford Bulletin Of Economics And

Statistics. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/obes.12192

Lim, J., Kim, M., Chen, S., & Ryder, C. (2008). An Empirical Investigation of Student

Achievement and Satisfaction in Different Learning Environments. Journal Of Instructional

Psychology, 35(2), 113-119. Retrieved from

http://www.anitacrawley.net/Resources/Articles/An%20Empirical%20Investigation%20of%

20Student%20Achievement.pdf
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Skryabin, M., Zhang, J., Liu, L., & Zhang, D. (2015). How the ICT development level and usage

influence student achievement in reading, mathematics, and science. Computers &

Education, 85, 49-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.02.004

Steffens, K. (2014). ICT Use and Achievement in Three European Countries: What Does PISA

Tell Us?. European Educational Research Journal, 13(5), 553-562.

http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/eerj.2014.13.5.553

Youssef, B., & Dahmani, M. (2008). The Impact of ICT on Student Performance in Higher

Education: Direct Effects, Indirect Effects and Organisational Change. RUSC. Universities

And Knowledge Society Journal, 5(1), 45-56. http://dx.doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v5i1.321

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