Internet Usage and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Indonesia

Abstract

Learners and teachers around the world extensively use the internet. Internet usage makes learners more motivated to look for information more frequently. Hence, the study sought to examine the impact of internet usage on the academic performance of secondary school students in Indonesia. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population included principals, teachers and learners in secondary schools in Jakarta, Indonesia. The target population was 500 participants. The study used a stratified sampling technique to get the sample size. The study used questionnaires to collect the data. The analysis of the data was done using descriptive and inferential statistics. It was found that internet usage explains 26.1% of the variations in academic performance. The study findings showed that internet usage is positively and significantly related to academic performance (B=.2857, p=0.014). The study concluded that internet usage positively impacts learners' academic performance. The use of the internet opens doorways to a wealth of information, knowledge, and educational resources, increasing opportunities for learning in and beyond the classroom. The internet provides different content that students can use to learn or enhance their understanding. The study recommended that earning organizations make sure that appropriate internet services are provided in their respective libraries to make it possible for learners to fulfill their information needs. The schools need to help learners utilize the internet for positive academic achievement. Government should make sure that each learning institution has a cost-free ICT center so that children can learn and have earlier knowledge to understand the favorable and unfavorable elements of the internet. Keywords: Internet Usage, Academic Performance, Secondary School Students, Indonesia