Impact of the Use of Educational Technology in Secondary Schools on Students’ Interest in Learning and Academic Achievement: A Study

Abstract

This systematic review research paper aims to analyse the impact of the use of Educational Technology in secondary schools on students’ interest and engagement in learning as well as on their academic achievement. Studies, including short-term research and other research works published between 2015 and 2025, were selected from ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Indian research sources. A total of 48 studies, including meta-analyses, experimental studies, and quasi-experimental studies, were included. The findings indicate that when technology is integrated with teacher training, active teaching methods, and context-appropriate content, it produces a moderate to high positive effect on students’ interest and a small to moderate positive effect on academic achievement. The impact was found to be relatively greater in Mathematics, Science, and Language subjects. In contexts such as India, inequalities in resources, lack of teachers’ technological-pedagogical knowledge, difficulties faced by teachers, and an overdependence on merely providing technological devices tend to limit the effectiveness of educational technology. The review concludes that technology is not magical in itself; its effectiveness depends on instructional design, the role of the teacher, and the active participation of students.