ASSESSING INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION: THE CASE OF TALIPAO DISTRICT-SULU

Information and communication technology for equitable access to elementary education in Talipao District, Division of Sulu, was evaluated as part of this study. In order to determine the extent of information and communication technology for fair access to elementary education in Talipao, District-Sulu, a descriptive-exploratory research design using a quantitative research approach was used. Using its ten selected public elementary schools—Bandang ES, Bilaan ES, Buntod ES, Kabungkol ES, Kagay ES, Lambanah ES, Mabahay ES, Samak ES, Tiis ES, and Tuyang ES—the study's location was limited to Talipao District, Sulu Province. One hundred teachers from the ten selected public elementary schools in Talipao District, School Year 2024–2025, participated in the study. Purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling technique, was used in this investigation. A modified standardized questionnaire taken from Ritchte lM's (2014) study on the effects of technology in education and the digital divide served as the research tool for gathering the primary empirical data. While the weighted mean and standard deviation were used to assess the extent of evaluating information and communication technology for equitable access to elementary education at Talipao District, the frequency count and percentage distribution were the statistical tools used to determine the teachers' demographic profile. When data were grouped according to age, civil status, length of service, and educational attainment, the T-test for the independent variable was used to identify significant differences in terms of gender and One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) on the extent of evaluating ICT for equitable access to elementary education at Talipao District. The significant correlation between the subcategories included in the Talipao District's assessment of information and communication technology for equitable access to elementary education, in the context of technology access, teacher training, and student engagement, was ascertained using Pearson Product-Moment Correlation. It was discovered that the majority of responders were married, over half were female, and a third had served for six to ten years. Regarding teacher training, student participation, and access to technology, the responses are somewhat in agreement. The findings suggest that technology access has a significant impact on student engagement and teacher preparation. When categorized by gender, age, civil status, and duration of service, there is no discernible variation in the Talipao District's use of ICT for equitable access to basic education. The training of teachers, their access to technology, and student engagement are highly correlated. On the other hand, there was a strong association between student engagement and teacher training alone when it came to technological availability.