Multi-Level Digital Inequality in Rural Ghana: Internet Access, Continuity of Use, and Institutional Mediation in Basic Education

Abstract

The expansion of digital technologies has created new opportunities for educational 
participation, yet substantial inequalities persist in learners' access to and use of 
digital resources. This study examines patterns of digital participation among Basic 8 
students in rural Ghana and investigates how internet access, continuity of use, and 
institutional conditions shape opportunities for digital engagement. Guided by Digital 
Divide Theory and the Capability Approach, the study employs a convergent mixed-
methods design combining survey data from 854 students with interviews, classroom 
observations, and field-based qualitative evidence collected across three socio-
economically differentiated districts in the Central Region of Ghana. The findings 
reveal significant disparities in internet access, continuity of use, and digital 
participation across districts. While many students reported some form of internet 
access, opportunities for regular and meaningful engagement with digital 
technologies remained uneven. Digital participation frequently occurred outside 
formal school provision, with students relying heavily on personal mobile devices, 
household resources, and teacher-supported arrangements. The study further 
demonstrates that institutional conditions, including school infrastructure, 
connectivity, and teacher facilitation, play a critical role in shaping digital 
opportunities. In contexts where institutional support was limited, teachers often 

compensated through personal resource contributions and informal facilitation 
strategies. The study contributes to digital inequality scholarship by showing that 
educational digital participation is shaped not only by access to technology but also 
by continuity of use and institutional mediation. The findings suggest that efforts to 
promote digital transformation in basic education should move beyond infrastructure 
provision and address the institutional and pedagogical conditions necessary for 
meaningful and equitable digital participation. 

Keywords: Digital inequality, digital participation, institutional mediation, digital 
transformation, Ghana. 
Date of submission: 24th April 2026; Date of acceptance: 15th July 2026 
Date of publication: 29th July 2026 
url: https://mjdesjournal.com/index.php/mjdes/issue/view/3 
*Corresponding author  
Citation: Ayerakwa H. M., Awuku M.O., & Tsiboe-Darko A. (2026). Multi-Level Digital Inequality in Rural 
Ghana: Internet Access, Continuity of Use, and Institutional Mediation in Basic Education. 
Multidisciplinary Journal of Distance Education Studies, 2026, 3(1), 78 – 100.