Examining the digital divide in access to and use of information and communication tools and capabilities among high school students

The present study was conducted to examine the digital divide in access to and use of information and communication tools and capabilities among high school students in terms of gender, type of school, grade and socio-economic status. The research design was causal-comparative and the statistical population of the study consisted of all high school students, who were attending high school during the academic year 2018-19 in Sanandaj, Iran. Samples of 300 students (160 boys and 140 girls) were selected from that population randomly, using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected by ICT Familiarity Scale and Socio-Economic Status Questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests. The results showed a significant difference in the level of access to ICT at home in terms of the type of school, grade and socio-economic status, but there was no significant gender difference. Also, there was a significant difference in the level of access to ICT at school in terms of the type of school and socio-economic status, but that was not significant in terms of gender and grade. In addition, there was a significant difference in use of ICT (at home and school) in terms of the type of school, grade and socio-economic status. However, there was no significant gender difference in use of ICT among students. In general, the results of this study showed the digital divide in the access and use of ICT in high schools and educational policymakers can use this evidence to make policies that promote educational justice.