Measurement invariance of the ICT engagement construct and its association with students’ performance in China and Germany: Evidence from PISA 2015 data

Abstract

The present study investigated the factor structure of and measurement invariance in the information and communication technology (ICT) engagement construct, and the relationship between ICT engagement and students’ performance on science, mathematics and reading in China and Germany. Samples were derived from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 survey. Configural, metric and scalar equivalence were found in a multigroup exploratory structural equation model. In the regression model, a significantly positive association between interest in ICT and student achievement was found in China, in contrast to a significantly negative association in Germany. All achievement scores were negatively and significantly correlated with perceived ICT competence scores in China, whereas science and mathematics achievement scores were not predicted by scores on ICT competence in Germany. Similar patterns were found in China and Germany in terms of perceived autonomy in using ICT and social relatedness in using ICT to predict students’ achievement. The implications of all the findings were discussed.

The Effects of Information and Communication Technology Engagement Factors on Science Performance Between Singapore and Turkey Using Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling

“…Interest in ICT which is the intrinsic motivation of using products related to ICT (Zylka et al, 2015); 2. Perceived ICT competence, students' ICT-based knowledge and skills that can be used to perform ICT-related tasks (Meng at al.,2019); 3. Perceived autonomy in using ICT, perceived control and independence of an individual in using ICT; 4.…”

“…Social Relatedness in using ICT, the measure of an individual communicating and interacting with others using ICT (Kuger et al, 2016;Zylka et al, 2015) ICT engagement scale is a fairly new scale. While reviewing the literature, it was noticed that the early studies leading to this scale originated from the ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/ ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/ use of ICT in school and in home (Meng et al, 2019). Researchers obtained mixed results about the effect of using computer and technology on students' success (Agasisti et al, 2020;Chen & Wang, 2013;Eickelmann et al, 2016;Lei & Zhao, 2007;Liemb et al,2014;Notten & Kraaykamp, 2009;Thiessen & Looker, 2007;Xin & Zhou, 2010).…”

Comparing Students’ Engagement in Classroom Education Between China and Germany

“…For example, Chinese students believed that ICT interest had a positive impact on their achievement, while German students reported a negative impact accordingly. In the end, Meng et al (2018) argued that the collectivist nature of Chinese cultural compared to the individualist framework of German culture might be regarded as the predictors of such incongruity among students in this study. Hiver et al (2021) asserted that higher learner engagement scores indicate their responsibility for their own learning and academic success.…”

“…On the other hand, effort and persistence were associated with students' academic performance. Meng et al (2018) examined the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) engagement and students' academic performance among high schools students in China (n = 9,841) and Germany (n = 6,504). The data were obtained from the PISA administered in 2015.…”

“…Consequently, it is highly suggested to assess students' engagement from different cultures using fresh data or even classified data collection measures such as PISA. In this regard, Meng et al (2018) argued that economic relationships between different countries could prepare the ground for cross-cultural investigation of various disciplines accordingly. For instance, China and Germany are considered as the major economic partners these days and there is a growing number of visiting students between the two countries.…”