Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Saberes APUDEP
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The fundamental purpose of this study was to analyze the perceptions and experiences of teachers and students in Colombian educational institutions regarding the digital divide and its implications for equity in the classroom—a problem that recent literature understands transcends mere technological availability. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach within the socio-critical paradigm, employing a multiple case study design in educational facilities located in contexts of high and low digital vulnerability. This approach enabled a comparative analysis of the dynamics of exclusion. Data collection was carried out, and the descriptive possibilities were ensured through triangulation of data collection techniques, including in-depth interviews with teachers and focus groups with students. The results highlighted a shift in the problem from an access gap to a usage gap, revealing a marked functional disparity that confirms students from less vulnerable contexts use Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for more strategic and cognitively demanding tasks, in contrast to their peers from high-divide areas who limit their use to recreational and social activities. A key finding was that teachers' perceived digital self-efficacy, stemming from insufficient and poorly contextualized training, constitutes a more significant pedagogical barrier than the existing infrastructure itself. The research also revealed a sense of frustration and disadvantage among students, transforming the digital divide into a matter of unequal opportunities. In short, the digital divide is configured as a multidimensional phenomenon (pedagogical, curricular and ethical) that requires an urgent reorientation of public policies in favor of teacher training focused on the strategic use of ICTs and the transformation of pedagogical practices that guarantee education the premises of inclusive and equitable education, aligned in turn with the challenges of the 21st century.
Este obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional.
