Usage of Electronic Education Services in Bulgaria

Abstract

In the past twenty years, the range of electronic services offered by educational institutions in Bulgaria has increased substantially, allowing schools, universities, and vocational training centers to offer flexible learning options. These capabilities proved essential during the COVID-19 pandemic when most educational institutions switched to online teaching. The share of electronic service users among the population between 16 and 74 years of age almost tripled between 2019 (2.3%) and 2020 (6.9%). This paper explores the variation in usage rates of four types of electronic education-related services: online courses and examinations provided by schools and universities, private educational services, and administrative services like issuing electronic diplomas and certificates. The propensity to use these services is modeled within a multilevel logistic regression model using a sample of internet users conducted in July-August 2021. The results reveal a gender difference in the usage of electronic services, with women being more likely to access school and university services than men. Respondents living in rural areas were less likely to use private e-services. However, there were no significant differences between urban and rural dwellers regarding the rest of the service types. Individuals using one service type were more likely to use all the others. The regional variation of usage patterns indicates a positive association between the use of university and privately supplied electronic services.