Digital Use Matters More than Access: Socioeconomic Inequality and Mathematics Achievement in the Context of Sustainable Education (PISA 2022)

This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES), digital access, and different forms of digital use in relation to mathematics achievement using PISA 2022 data. The analysis draws on the PISA 2022 student dataset, with the fully specified models based on 298,158 students nested within 13,156 schools across 49 education systems. The findings show that SES remains the strongest predictor of mathematics achievement, while digital access has a relatively limited association. When different types of digital use are considered, the results reveal a more complex pattern. Productive (learning-oriented) use is negatively associated with achievement, whereas recreational (leisure-oriented) use shows a positive relationship. In addition, the positive association of recreational use is more pronounced among students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Overall, the findings suggest that digital inequality cannot be understood solely in terms of access, but requires attention to how digital technologies are used and how these uses relate to socioeconomic conditions. From a sustainable education perspective, this implies that digitalization alone is unlikely to reduce educational inequalities and that the quality and context of digital use should be considered.