Analysis of high school students’ use of digital devices: focus on learning and instruction elements

The purpose of this study is to categorize high school students’ digital device usage patterns and identify group characteristics, focusing on learning and instructional elements. For this purpose, data from high school students were collected through the Gyeonggi Education Panel Study (GEPS) and clusters were derived through cluster analysis using variables related to digital device use, general learning, subject-specific learning in school, and academic achievement. In addition, to analyze differences between clusters, ANOVA was conducted. The main results are as follows. First, three distinct clusters were identified: ‘Digital Device Usage for Learning Purposes’, ‘Multi-purpose Digital Device Usage’, and ‘Digital Device Usage for Non-Learning Purposes’. Second, the ‘Learning Purposes’ cluster showed high levels of learning engagement, instructional activities, and academic performance, with significant differences compared to the other clusters. Conversely, the ‘Non-Learning Purposes’ cluster demonstrated low levels across most indicators. The findings show that indiscriminate use of digital devices should be avoided. It highlights the importance of providing specific guidelines and training for effective device usage in educational settings. Conducted against the backdrop of increasing emphasis on digital education, the study underscores the need to enhance digital device usage for learning purposes and suggests further exploration of this perspective’s educational potential.