Digital resource utilization and learners’ academic performance in technology-enhanced classrooms in secondary schools in Gakenke District, Rwanda

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between digital resource usage and learners’ academic performance in technology-enhanced classrooms in secondary schools. The objectives of the study were to examine the relationship between frequency of digital resource usage, to evaluate the effect of type of digital resources, to explore the influence of duration of digital resource usage, and to assess the effect of learners’ engagement level during digital resource usage on academic performance in technology-enhanced classrooms in Gakenke district secondary schools. The study area was 18 secondary schools from Gakenke District, Northern Province, Rwanda, with smart classrooms. The Replacement, Amplification, Transformation (RAT) Model was used as the guiding theoretical framework. A descriptive correlational survey design was applied. Questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The population of the study comprised 306 students, teachers, parent representatives, deputy head teachers in charge of studies, and head teachers from eighteen secondary schools within Gakenke District, Rwanda. Stratified and purposive sampling were used. Yamane’s formula was applied to the study population to find a sample size of 83 students, 36 teachers, 18 directors of studies, 18 SEC presidents, and 18 head teachers. A pilot study was conducted at two secondary schools to test the validity and reliability of research instruments. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the data, while inferential statistics was applied to test hypotheses and look for relationships between different variables. The type of digital resources accessed explained 20.2% of academic performance variations (R² = 0.202, p = 0.002), indicating that many students might not be able to access a good variety of effective tools, and the type of digital resource accessed is not a strong predictor of academic performance. The study calls for improvements in access to digital resources, teacher training, and parental involvement and recommends that policymakers set policies that enable continuous investment in digital resources and decentralization of budgets at the school level. Future researchers should explore the effect of teachers’ digital literacy and learners’ academic performance.