Information and communication technology (ICT) utilisation, skillfulness and students’ academic performance in Liberian Universities

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) has been found to be very important in enhancement of academic performance of students in tertiary institutions. This study investigated the influence of ICT on the academic performance of students in two selected universities in Monrovia, Liberia. Primary data was collected from 110 randomly selected students from both universities. This was carried out by using a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive Statistics and OLS regression analyses were used to analyze the data, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used for test of hypotheses. The findings from results indicate that many (88.2%) of the students have smart phones; majority (78.2%) has access to internet facilities at home; a good number (56.4%) used internet services on daily basis; about 40% spent 1-2 hours on internet each day. Considering computer-related activities, an average student was skillful mainly in email, Microsoft word and Powerpoint. The study shows that possession of laptop and access to university desktops had positive significant influence on students’ academic performance. However, possession of smart phones and tablets had negative significant influence on students’ academic performance.