The effects of internet usage on academic performance of the university students of Khyber Pankhtunkhwa (K.P.) Pakistan

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the effects of internet use on the academic performance of university students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It further investigated the students‟ internet usage patterns, differences in the use of internet based on gender and discipline, level of internet use skills, and barriers faced in the use of internet. The study opted for survey method of quantitative research design. The data was collected through questionnaires administered to male and female graduate university students (M.A/M.Sc), selected through proportionate stratified sampling technique, in the five selected public sector universities: the University of Peshawar, University of Malakand, University of Mansehra, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan and Gomal University, D.I. Khan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The collected data was analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), 20th edition. The results were consolidated at the interpretation stage. The results regarding the students‟ internet use patterns demonstrated that they used the internet mainly for academics purposes, entertainment, communications, and keeping themselves up-to-date. However, they spent maximum time on the internet for entertainment purposes. Their internet use skills were satisfactory; however, some of their internet use skills needed improvements because majority of the respondents were using the internet without getting any formal training. Moreover, while they considered most of the internet resources to be effective, they were less satisfied with some of the essential-academic resources like free books, free online databases, free electronic reference material, indexes and abstracts, and thesis and dissertations. The main iv hindrances preventing the effective use of internet were identified as: inadequate knowledge of online e-resources; slow speed of internet; electricity shortage problems; negative attitude of society towards internet usage; and students being discouraged by parents from using the internet due to the availability of inappropriate content on the internet. The gender differences in the use of internet showed that males were more experienced and majority of them possessed personal PCs/laptops. Males were also highly skilled in computer problem solving and using HEC databases. Similarly, they had less computer anxiety and distance problem as compared to the females. On other hand while females were less satisfied than males concerning the use of Social Networks Sites and watching online movies/dramas/shows/photographs. They used these resources with greater frequency and spent more time on these resources than males. The males were more satisfied concerning the use of online academic resources and tended to spend more time on the internet for educational purposes. Thus, the male students used the internet primarily for educational purposes and while the female students used the internet for entertainment, communication and social interaction. The discipline wise differences in the use of internet showed that, in spite of the fact that majority of the students in Sciences faculties possessed personal PCs and had higher experience of internet use than Arts/Social Sciences and Management Sciences students; they still had low internet use skills, used educational internet resources less frequently, and were less satisfied than students in other faculties regarding the online educational resources. The findings necessitate enhancing the availability of online educational resources according to the students‟ indigenous information needs. v A relationship between students‟ internet use and their CGPA was discovered. It clearly indicated that the internet use for non-academic e-resources negatively affected the CGPA of the students. Thus, in order to improve the university students‟ academic performance, their use of academic e-resources, level of their satisfaction with these resources, use frequency of these e-resources and their internet use skills need to be improved. The findings of the study provided useful insight into the University students‟ internet use. The findings will help authorities (HEC and Universities) to understand the phenomena and align their policies to enhance the use of internet resources for educational purposes among students. It is also hoped that these finding will assist universities librarians and computer labs staff to design internet literacy curricula for not only students in the public sector universities in KP but also for the students studying in other universities of Pakistan. Furthermore, the recommendations for further research will also guide the future researchers to further explore this area. This doctoral research is a very important contribution to the literature on students‟ internet usage in higher education and will provide a basis to researchers interested in this area of study in Pakistan.