Undergraduate Students’ Information Literacy in Relation to Their ICT Proficiency and Psychological Characteristics

In this study we examined how aspects of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use, psychological characteristics, and demographic parameters were related to students’ level of information literacy (IL). Four hundred and ninety-eight undergraduate students took a forty-item IL knowledge test and completed questionnaires on ICT use (twenty-six items) and psychological characteristics (seventy items). Factor analysis was used to group the parameters. Students’ IL was partly influenced by their year of study, but not by gender or type of study field. IL correlated best with the use of general software tools and confidence in general Internet uses. Of the psychological characteristics, self-concepts about learning and problem solving correlated most strongly with IL, followed by self-efficacy. Controlled external motivation was not related to IL. Suggestions for teaching practice include emphasizing the problem-based approach, autonomous motivation and appropriate timing, as well as focusing on deficient IL topics.