Profiling ICT users and social-emotional and academic outcomes: a multilevel latent profile analysis

Abstract This study employs multilevel latent profile analysis to characterize information and communications technology (ICT) use profiles among students and schools, examining their associations with background factors, motivational factors, ICT availability and quality, and academic and social-emotional outcomes. A sample of 302,592 students nested within 13,650 schools from PISA 2022 data was used. The results showed four students’ ICT use profiles: high-use (male-dominated/high self-efficacy/higher socioeconomic status), social-entertainment (female-predominant), creation-oriented (higher socioeconomic status), and low-use (lower socioeconomic status). Low-use students demonstrated optimal academic achievement (reading/mathematics/science) and social-emotional outcomes, while high-use profile showed the weakest outcomes. At the school level, three typologies were identified: creation oriented, low use, and mixed use. Mirroring individual patterns, low-use schools exhibited peak academic/socioemotional performance, whereas creation-oriented schools demonstrated comparatively lower performance in these domains. These findings challenge assumptions about the inherent educational value of technology and underscore the necessity of investigating ICT use subtypes to inform differentiated educational interventions.