Use of Information and Communication Technology Among Academics in Nigerian University

ABSTRACT The study was carried out to determine the information and communication technology use for scholarly communication among academics in Nigerian universities, with specific reference to knowledge generation and communication. It also looked at the difficulties faced by academics in generating and communicating knowledge. The study was guided by eight research questions and three hypotheses. Descriptive survey method was used for the study. The population of the study was made up of 3572 academics in arts, education, engineering, science and social science disciplines in ten federal universities having functional information and communication technology in their libraries in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. A non-proportionate random sampling technique was used to select six universities, while stratified random sampling technique was used to select respondents. Questionnaire (ICTUSCA) used for data collection was made up of seven sections. The validity and reliability of the instrument were established. The reliability of 0.87 was established for the instrument using Cronbach Alpha procedure. Means and Standard deviation were used to analyze the data while t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Tukey HSD for multiple comparisons was used to find out where the difference lay in some of the variables. The results of the study showed that the ICT skills mostly possessed by academics were using GSM, opening of e-mail box without help and using Internet. Academics used Internet and e-mail for scholarly communication, followed by GSM handsets and websites. ICT use was found to encourage the search for information from locations outside the library and facilitate the search for information required for knowledge generation among others. There was significant difference in the use of ICT for scholarly communication by various disciplines. The result of Tukey HSD for multiple comparison showed that academics in the engineering discipline used ICT more than others. There was no significant difference in the mean ratings of male and female academics as regards the use of ICT for scholarly communication. There was also no significant difference in the mean ratings of senior, middle and junior academics in the use of ICT for scholarly communication. It was further revealed that the major difficulties faced by academics in the use of ICT for scholarly communication were lack of basic computing and networking skills, changes in software application and lack of access to scholarship due to publishers‟ licensing agreement. Based on the findings, it was recommended that academics should be encouraged to acquire major computing and networking skills, universities should seek for funds to provide consistent Internet connectivity, and government and National Universities Commission should help universities network ICT facilities through Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page i

Approval Page ii

Certification Page iii

Dedication iv

Acknowledgements v

Table of Contents vi

List of Tables ix

List of Figures xi

Abstract xii

CHAPTER ONE : INTRODUCTION 1

Background to the Study 1

Statement of the Problem 13

Purpose of the Study 14

Research Questions 15

Hypotheses 16

Significance of the Study 16

Scope of the Study 17

CHAPTER TWO : LITERATURE REVIEW 19

Conceptual Framework 19

Concept of Scholarly communication 19

Concept of Knowledge Generation 23

Concept of Knowledge Communication 31

Crisis in Scholarly Communication 33

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

and Scholarly Communication 35

Challenges to ICT use for Scholarly Communication 42

Demographic Factors Affecting ICT Use 44

vii

Theoretical Framework 47

Theories of knowledge Generation 47

Theories of knowledge communication 51

Empirical Studies 56

Studies on ICT Literacy skills 57

Studies on ICT use and Scholarly Communication 58

Studies on Disciplinary Culture and ICT use 62

Studies on Gender and ICT use 63

Studies on Academic Rank and ICT use 65

Summary of Literature Review 66

CHAPTER THREE : RESEARCH METHODS 69

Research Design 69

Area of the Study 69

Population 70

Sample and Sampling Techniques 70

Instrument for Data Collection 72

Validation of the Instrument 73

Reliability of the Instrument 74

Procedure for Data Collection 75

Method of Data Analysis 75

CHAPTER FOUR : PRESENTATION OF DATA 78

CHAPTER FIVE : DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS,

RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUMMARY 111

Discussion of Findings 111

viii

Implications of the Study

Conclusion 123

Recommendations 125

Suggestions for Further Study 126

Limitations of the Study 127

REFERENCES 128

APPENDICES 141