INFLUENCE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ON SCIENCE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND 21ST-CENTURY SKILLS ACQUISITION

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) has played a pivotal role in the activities of undergraduate students in universities across the globe in this digital age. The perception of chemistry undergraduates on the influence of information and communication technology on students’ academic performance and acquisition of twenty-first-century skills was investigated in this study. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the research. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and structured questionnaires were administered to 180 students randomly selected from one public university in Lagos State. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, while the hypotheses were tested using the frequency cross-tabulation statistics and independent samples Mann-Whitney tests. The findings showed that most students who make use of ICT perceive a positive influence on their academic performance and acquisition of 21st-century skills. Further findings showed that both male and female perceptions of academic performance were significant and not gender sensitive. It was recommended that lecturers and students use ICT more in the classrooms for educational purposes.