Abstract
Digital technology has been considered as an additional teaching aid for teachers, especially when teaching elementary learners. The primary focus of this study was to assess the impact of digital technology on the learning interest and academic performance of grade 7 students in public secondary schools in Tanay District, Schools Division Office of Rizal, during the 2024–2025 school year. The researcher employed descriptive methods using a validated researcher-made questionnaire checklist. The study revealed that digital technology has a significant effect on the learning interest of grade 7 students, as reflected in their motivational drive, cognitive development, and task accomplishment, as indicated by the overall mean of 3.98, which is often interpreted as a Positive Outcome. In addition, the null hypothesis is accepted when grouped according to their sex, sibling position, parents' educational attainment and parents' occupation as the gained p-value were greater than .05. In contrast, as to number of children in the family and monthly family income, the null hypothesis is rejected as they received p-value that is lower than .05. Grade 7 students have overall satisfactory performance as revealed by their average grades. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the perceived extent of digital technology's effects on students' learning interests and their academic performance. The study concluded that monthly family income and the number of children in the family correlate with the perceived extent of digital technology's effects on students' learning interests. The academic performance of students is associated with the perceived effects of digital technology on their learning interests, particularly in terms of motivational drive, cognitive development, and task accomplishment. The study recommended that students be oriented to the proper use of digital technology to improve learning outcomes. Students may be engaged in more technology-based instructional tasks and digital learning activities to enhance their performance.
