The effect of ICTs access in households on learningachievements: a comparison pre-pandemic andpost-pandemic in Argentina

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Abstract
This article examines the association between primary students’ academic performance andhousehold access to computers with internet connectivity in Argentina, extending the empirical literaturein the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigate whether information and communicationtechnologies (ICTs) affect educational outcomes and whether their impact differs before and after thepandemic. We estimate propensity score matching models using Aprender 2021 data for students in thefinal year of primary school, disaggregated by geographical regions. The results indicate that householdaccess to computers with internet connectivity is associated with higher language arts and mathematics testscores. The estimated effect varies across regions. In addition, the performance gap between students withand without ICT access is, on average, 2.33% larger than the estimated pre-pandemic gap, suggestingthat ICT access became more salient during school closures. Overall, this study contributes to the evidenceon ICT-related educational inequalities at the primary level during the pandemic.

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