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Internet Use by Secondary School Students: A Digital Divide in Sustainable Societies?

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  • Francisco Javier Ballesta Pagán

    (Departamento de Didáctica y Organización Escolar, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

  • Josefina Lozano Martínez

    (Departamento de Didáctica y Organización Escolar, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

  • Mari Carmen Cerezo Máiquez

    (Departamento de Didáctica y Organización Escolar, Facultad de Educación, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain)

Abstract

Although the use of the Internet is generalised, its potential as a teaching tool is rarely taken into account. At the same time, there exists a digital divide affecting vulnerable or disadvantaged groups: students of foreign origin and students with special educational needs. It is necessary to identify how inequality can be overcome to reach the objectives set by the United Nations regarding sustainable forms of development for education and to foster more inclusive and egalitarian societies. In this research with students aged 12–16, the objective was to establish profiles according to gender, social class, ethnic background and educational special needs. We used a mixed methodological design, applying a questionnaire to 2734 students from 15 centres and qualitative data collection techniques. We made a descriptive and inferential analysis (SPSS program) and a qualitative data content analysis supported by the “Maxqda” program. The results show that, although most students have Internet access, students of foreign origin and students with special educational needs use this resource less frequently. There are significant differences for gender. Likewise, social divide has an impact on the learning potential of the Internet. Some proposals for improvement are provided, from the framework of the school, with a view to improving socio-educational equity and inclusion in societies in search of a more sustainable form of development.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco Javier Ballesta Pagán & Josefina Lozano Martínez & Mari Carmen Cerezo Máiquez, 2018. "Internet Use by Secondary School Students: A Digital Divide in Sustainable Societies?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:10:p:3703-:d:175853
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sonia Livingstone, 2008. "Taking risky opportunities in youthful content creation: teenagers' use of social networking sites for intimacy, privacy and self-expression," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 27072, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
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    1. Elena Jiménez Sánchez & Estrella Montes-López & María Jesús Santos Sánchez, 2022. "Impact of the COVID-19 Confinement on the Physics and Chemistry Didactic in High Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-18, May.
    2. Melchor Gómez-García & Hassan Hossein-Mohand & Juan Manuel Trujillo-Torres & Hossein Hossein-Mohand & Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz, 2020. "Technological Factors That Influence the Mathematics Performance of Secondary School Students," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-14, November.

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