Research Article

ICT use intensity and perceived learning support: A decoupling in Spanish compulsory education

Albert Marquès-Donoso 1 * , Leonor Sierra-Macarrón 2 , Paula Gil-Ruíz 3 , Victoria Martínez-Vérez 4
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1 Department of Education, Faculty of Education, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Sant Cugat del Vallès, SPAIN2 Department of Education, Faculty of Education, UNIE Universidad, Madrid, SPAIN3 Department of General and Subject-Specific Didactics and Theory of Education, University of León, León, SPAIN4 Department of Didactics of Musical, Visual, and Physical Expression, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, SPAIN* Corresponding Author
Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(4), October 2026, ep695, https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/19552
Published: 09 October 2026
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ABSTRACT

The integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) into compulsory education raises the question of whether more intensive technology use translates into a more favorable appraisal of its contribution to learning. This study analyzed the relationship between ICT use intensity and a set of objective and perceptual indicators in 1,969 primary (n = 868) and lower secondary students (n = 1,101) from several Spanish autonomous communities. A cross-sectional, non-experimental quantitative design was applied, analyzing a composite use intensity index through Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests with effect sizes and through ordinal logistic regression models controlling educational stage and gender. Use intensity showed large associations with objective indicators of technology use and consistent differences by educational stage and school year, whereas gender exerted only a marginal influence. No association was found between use intensity and the perception that technology supports learning, even after adjusting for these covariates, whereas small positive associations emerged with specific indicators of decision-making capacity and desired learning. Primary students, despite less intensive use, appraised the educational usefulness of technology more favorably than secondary students. The findings support a decoupling between use intensity and perceived educational value and underline the relevance of pedagogical mediation over mere technological exposure.
Keywords: educational technology, ICT use, digital competence, primary education, secondary education, student perceptions

CITATION (APA)

Marquès-Donoso, A., Sierra-Macarrón, L., Gil-Ruíz, P., & Martínez-Vérez, V. (2026). ICT use intensity and perceived learning support: A decoupling in Spanish compulsory education. Contemporary Educational Technology, 18(4), ep695. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/19552

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