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The Relationship of Technology Use with Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in Urban Middle School Students

Meghan M Hollibaugh Baker, Johnson & Wales University

Abstract

The academic achievement gap between students of low socioeconomic status and their peers widens, student disengagement increases, and drop out statistics increase as students progress in K-12 education (Johnston & Viadero, 2000). In this new era, students have the opportunity to exhibit more control over their individualized learning through technology use (Caprara et al., 2008; Debowski, Wood, & Bandura, 2001). Educators continually search for the most effective approach to individualized instruction, but it remains to be explored how technology use relates to academic self-efficacy and academic achievement. This study addressed three questions through the social cognitive theory framework. What is the relationship between perceived academic self-efficacy and academic achievement in students at each successive grade level? What is the relationship between perceived academic self-efficacy and educational technology use for mathematics and reading instruction at each grade level? What is the relationship between educational technology use for mathematics and reading instruction and academic achievement? A quantitative correlational study was designed to explore the relationship between educational technology use, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement. The sample included approximately N=414 students from an urban public middle school in the Northeast, N=100 students from each grade (5-8). A questionnaire was used to collect data on academic self-efficacy, academic achievement data were obtained from standardized STAR Assessments in reading and mathematics, and technology use data were collected from two educational technology programs. Analyses revealed a higher frequency of technology use for students at/above grade level, compared to those below, of significant difference for math ( t(410)=6.237, p=<.001, d=.632, ES=med) and reading (t(412)=4.553, p<.001, d=.492, ES=med). Significant relationships between technology use and academic self-belief measures existed for grades 5 ( r=.374, r2=.140, p<.001, ES=med), 7 (r=.436, r2=.190, p<.001, ES=med), and 8 (r=.285, r2=.081, p=.004, ES=med). The strength in relationship between academic self-concept and academic achievement in math increased with grade level after grade 5 (5, r=.430, r2=.185; 6, r=.388, r 2=.151; 7, r=.399, r2=.159; 8, r=.456, r2=.208, p<.001, ES=med/large). The findings from this study may help educational leaders further develop successful learning environments, being cognizant of the relationship of technology-based instructional tasks on self-efficacy and academic achievement.

Subject Area

Educational leadership|Education

Recommended Citation

Hollibaugh Baker, Meghan M, "The Relationship of Technology Use with Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Achievement in Urban Middle School Students" (2015). Dissertation & Theses Collection. AAI3689105.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/dissertations/AAI3689105

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