Digital diversity among upper secondary students: A multilevel analysis of the relationship between cultural capital, self-efficacy, strategic use of information and digital competence

•To measure upper secondary school students digital competence.•A variation in digital competence within and between schools.•Student's strategic use of information and self-efficacy is related with digital competence.•Social background of students predicts their digital competence.

This paper addresses digital diversity among upper secondary students. Since 2006 digital skills and competence has been embedded as key competence in the Norwegian national curriculum. A sample of 593 Norwegian students from 43 upper secondary schools participated in a survey with a digital competence quiz and a self-report questionnaire. Analysis showed differences in students' digital competence and indication of digital diversity on both student and school level. A multilevel analysis reveals that cultural capital, language integration at home, self-efficacy, strategic use of information and average grades of the students predict 20% of the variation in students' digital competence score and 49% of the variation between schools' average digital competence score.