Assessing the Factors Affecting Utilization of E-Library Resources among Staff and Students of Jigawa State College of Education Gumel, Nigeria

ABSTRACT 

The study investigated the factors that affect the effective utilization of e-library resources among staff and students of Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel. Nigeria. The objectives of the study were;(i) to examine human factors that affect the utilization of e-library resources in Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel, (ii) to determine the institutional factors that affect the utilization of e-library resources among staff and students’ in Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel, (iii) to investigate the e-library system factors affecting the utilization of eresources among students and staff in the Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel,(iv) to propose strategies for enhancing utilization of e-library resources among staff and students in Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel. The study employs Descriptive Survey, both for quantitative and qualitative data collection. The target population was 9,063 participants and the sample size was 365 respondents. The main research instruments used were questionnaires, Focus Group Discussion as well as Key informant interviews. Quantitative data collected was analyzed using SPSS while qualitative data was also analyzed using thematic method. The study found that the human factors affecting the utilization of e-library resources include; user awareness and willingness to use e-library resources, lack of computer skills while institutional factors affecting the utilization included unstable power supply, weak internet, and insufficient facilities among others. This study has found that lack of integrated information system and limited sharing of information found to be affecting the utilization. With regards to the enhancement of utilization of e-resources in the College, it was revealed that measures such as capacity building and proper orientation for staff and students, stable power supply and dedicated internet connections, provision of sufficient resources and so on were believed to be potential utilization and improvement measures according to the respondents. This study has found that user awareness and willingness to use the e-resources among both staff and students were found to be good, thus it is important to put the inhibiting factors heightened above in other to encourage effective utilization of the e-resources in the College. Eventually, this could affect teachers’ productivity and students’ academic performance. Therefore, the study recommends the following; provision of stable power supply and resources, capacity building training, provision of strong internet services, provision of integrated information system and provision of enough manpower etc.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION............................................................................................................................ i

APPROVAL .................................................................................................................................. ii

DEDICATION..................................................................................iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. v

LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................................... viii

LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... x

LIST OF PLATES ....................................................................................................................... xi

LIST OF ABBREVIATION & ACRONYMS.......................................................................... xii

ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................ xiii

CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1

1.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Background to the Study........................................................................................................... 1

1.1.1 Historical Perspective ............................................................................................................ 1

1.1.2 Theoretical Perspective.......................................................................................................... 3

1.1.3 Conceptual Perspective.......................................................................................................... 4

1.1.4 Contextual Perspective........................................................................................................... 6

1.2 Statement of the Problem........................................................................................................ 10

1.3 General Objective of the Study............................................................................................... 11

1.3.1 Specific Objectives .............................................................................................................. 11

1.4 Research Questions................................................................................................................. 11

1.5 Scope of the Study .................................................................................................................. 12

1.5.1 Geographical Scope ............................................................................................................. 12

1.5.2 Theoretical scope ................................................................................................................. 12

1.5.3 Content Scope ...................................................................................................................... 12

1.5.4 Time Scope .......................................................................................................................... 12

1.6 Significance of the Study........................................................................................................ 12

1.7 Operational Definition of key Terms...................................................................................... 13

CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................ 14

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ............................................................................... 14

2.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 14

2.1 Theoretical review .................................................................................................................. 14

2.1.1 Theory of Planned Behavior................................................................................................ 14

2.1.2 Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)............................................................................... 15

2.1.3 Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM2).......................................................................... 16

2.2 Conceptual framework............................................................................................................ 18

2.2.1: Explanation of the Framework ........................................................................................... 18

2.3 Human Factors Affecting the Utilization of e-library Resources........................................... 19

2.3.1 Awareness of e-library resources......................................................................................... 19

2.3.2 Perception of using e-library resources................................................................................ 20

2.3.3 ICT Skills and Knowledge................................................................................................... 21

2.4 Institutional factors affecting the utilization of e-library resources........................................ 22

2.4.1 Management Style in the e-library....................................................................................... 22

2.4.2 Availability of e-resources................................................................................................... 23

2.5 Strategies for Enhancing Utilization of E-Library Resources ................................................ 25

2.6 Study gaps identified............................................................................................................... 26

CHAPTER THREE.................................................................................................................... 27

METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................................... 27

3.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 27

3.1 Research Design...................................................................................................................... 27

3.2 Target population.................................................................................................................... 28

3.3 Sample Size............................................................................................................................. 28

3.4 Sampling Technique ............................................................................................................... 30

3.5 Data Collection Methods ........................................................................................................ 31

3.6 Data Collection Instruments ................................................................................................... 31

3.6.1 Questionnaire ....................................................................................................................... 31

3.6.2 Key Informant Interviews.................................................................................................... 32

3.6.3 Focus Group Discussion ...................................................................................................... 32

3.7 Validity and Reliability........................................................................................................... 33

3.7.1 Validity of the instruments................................................................................................... 33

3.7.2 Reliability of the instruments............................................................................................... 33

3.8 Data Collection Procedure ...................................................................................................... 34

3.9 Data Analysis.......................................................................................................................... 34

3.10 Ethical Considerations.......................................................................................................... 35

3.11 Limitation of the Study ......................................................................................................... 36

CHAPTER FOUR....................................................................................................................... 37

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE FINDINGS. 37

4.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 37

4.1 Response Rate......................................................................................................................... 37

4.2. Demographic characteristics of student respondents............................................................. 37

4.3 Demographic characteristics of staff respondents .................................................................. 40

4.4 Human factors that affect the utilization of e-library resources among staff and students of the Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel................. 43

4.4.1 Comparison of questionnaire responses of staff and students respondents on human factors .................... 45

4.4.2 Qualitative data on human factors affecting effective utilization of the e-library resources as obtained from staff and students participants.......... 46

4.5 Institutional factors that affect the utilization of e-library resources among staff and students of the Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel.............. 50

4.5.1 Comparing questionnaire responses of students and staff on institutional factors affecting utilization of e-resources in the College ................ 53

4.5.2 Qualitative data on institutional factors that could affect the effective utilisation of e-library resources of the College as obtained from the staff and student participants......... 54

4.6 The e-library system factors affecting the utilization of e-library Resources among Staff and Students of the Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel.......... 58

4.6.1 Qualitative data obtained from KII’s and Focus Group Discussion on other factors affecting utilization e-library resources................. 58

4.7 Strategies for enhancing effective utilization of e-library resources among staff and students of the Jigawa State College of Education, Gumel ............... 59

4.7.1 Comparison of staff and students questionnaire responses on strategies for enhancing utilization of e-resources in the college........................................................................................ 62

4.7.2 Qualitative data on Strategies for enhancing utilization of e-library resources of the College as obtained from the staff and student participants............ 62

CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................ 66

DISCUSSIONS OF THE FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..... 66

5.0 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 66

5.1 Discussions of the research findings....................................................................................... 66

5.1.1 Demographic characteristics of the respondents (students)................................................. 66

5.1.2 Demographic characteristics of the respondents (staff)....................................................... 66

5.2 Specific Objectives ................................................................................................................. 66

5.2.1 Objectives One..................................................................................................................... 66

5.2.2 Objective Two...................................................................................................................... 68

5.2.3 Objective Three.................................................................................................................... 72

5.2.4 Objective Four ..................................................................................................................... 73

5.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 74

5.4 Recommendations................................................................................................................... 76

5.4 Area of further studies ............................................................................................................ 77

REFERENCES............................................................................................................................ 78

APPENDICES............................................................................................................................. 86

APPENDIX I A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS........................................................... 86

APPENDIX I B: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR THE TEACHING STAFF ..................................... 90

APPENDIX II: INFORMED CONSENT.................................................................................... 94

APPENDIX III: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS PLAN....................................... 95

APPENDIX IV: PLAN FOR FIELD DATA COLLECTION...................................................... 96

APPENDIX V: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION........................................................................ 97

APPENDIX VI: KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW .................................................................. 98

APPENDIX VII: TRANSMITTAL LETTER............................................................................. 99

APPENDIX VIII: INTRODUCTORY LETTER ...................................................................... 100

APPENDIX IX: TIME FRAME................................................................................................ 101

APPENDIX X: RESEARCH BUDGET ESTIMATES............................................................. 102

APPENDIX XI: RESEARCH ADVISORS TABLE................................................................. 103

APPENDIX XII: PICTURES .................................................................................................... 104