Educational performance and ICTs: Availability, use, misuse and context

•Exposure of students to ICT is complexly linked to their educational performance.•Availability of technology is generally beneficial, but the key lies in its use.•There are educational beneficial uses but also harmful uses or misuses.•Overexposure and non-guided use of technology encourage such misuses.•Surrounding socioeconomic and cultural environment plays a relevant role. The relationship between technology and learning is an issue without robust evidence. Previous studies have presented varied results depending on the learning area, the type of use and the context. This study examines this relationship and the influence of the context, by means of a multilevel analysis of the information in the PISA Report for the Spanish regions. The results show that there is a positive relationship for access to technology both at school and at home, and that its educational uses are not more beneficial than its recreational uses. The study confirms the misuse of technology as a distraction, with saturation thresholds above which their availability and use are detrimental, and that technological devices have different impacts depending on the guidance provided in their use. Finally, the influence of the students’ environment on their ICT use is confirmed according to contextual characteristics that affect that guidance.