Examining the digital divide among Chinese undergraduate students : using a three level digital divide framework /

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Student Theses

2024

Fang, Xiaoxuan

Hong Kong : The Education University of Hong Kong

Thesis

The digital divide is a common and prolonged global issue, exacerbated by online learning and the advanced development of information technologies. This study has three research aims to fill the gaps in the current literature. The gaps include exploring the digital divide in higher education and various countries (e.g., China), relevant socio-demographic factors, developing relevant theoretical development, and three levels of the digital divide. Three research aims in this study are: 1. This study examined the digital divide using the three levels of the digital divide framework among Chinese undergraduate students. 2. This study explored the differences in the three-level digital divide of Chinese undergraduate students from various backgrounds (gender, urban/rural dimension, family SES). 3. This study explored the reasons for the differences in the three-level digital divide of Chinese undergraduate students from various backgrounds. This study selected twenty universities located in Guangdong province. Four hundred and thirty-eight students completed the questionnaire surveys, and sixteen attended the semi-structured interviews. This study used an explanatory sequential design, starting with collecting quantitative data via questionnaire surveys and then analyzing the data via regression analysis and an independent sample t-test, followed by collecting qualitative data via semi-structured individual interviews and then analyzing the data via thematic analysis using social cognitive theory. The quantitative results found that the relationship between the three levels of the digital divide was that the digital access divide was positively related to the digital capability divide, which was further positively related to the digital outcome divide. Specifically, the findings revealed that home computer usage for study and leisure, university IT resource usage, and IT training were significant predictors of computer self-efficacy, except for university IT culture. Furthermore, computer self-efficacy was a significant predictor of knowledge and skill outcomes. In addition, the quantitative study found that female students and those from rural areas had significantly lower digital access, capability, and outcomes than male students and their counterparts from urban areas. Students with low family SES backgrounds had significantly lower digital access, capability, and outcomes than those with high family SES backgrounds. The qualitative findings are almost consistent with the quantitative results. However, qualitative findings revealed new factors of the three levels of the digital divide compared with Wei et al.’s (2011) theoretical framework. Three factors are added to the digital access divide: community computing environment, experience of computer access, and others (peer pressure and peer factor). Three factors are added to the digital capability divide: personal ability, learning, and others (peer pressure). Four factors are added to the digital outcome divide: study, work, personal ability, and others (self-esteem). Two factors are added to personal factors, including interest and major. Most importantly, two new relationships between the three levels are found: 1. The relationship from the digital access divide to the digital outcome divide is moderately positive. 2. The relationship from the digital outcome divide to the digital capability divide is weakly positive. This study contributes to the theoretical and practical implications of the digital divide research. It provides an updated theoretical framework for the three levels of the digital divide. It also recommends a set of suggestions for the home, university, community, and students based on the influencing factors of the three levels of the digital divide. For example, increasing the opportunities for digital access at home, university, and community, enhancing digital capabilities (e.g., computer skills, problem-solving ability), benefiting digital outcomes such as knowledge learning, collaboration and communication skills, and minimizing the influence of personal factors (female, rural area, low family-SES) on the digital divide. Lastly, limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed at the end of this study

LG51.H43 Dr 2024eb Fangx

https://educoll.lib.eduhk.hk/records/KAmOC5PT