Title: Patterns of Information Literacy Skill Proficiencies of Undergraduates in Federal Universities in Southwestern Nigeria
Author(s): OYEDAPO, Racheal Oyeranti, AKANDE Samson Oyeniyi
Publication Year: 2020; Volume 15, Issue 2, pages 68-78

Information literacy skills are crucial to 21st century undergraduates who need to filter information from different sources with a view to coming up with accurate information to complete courses assignments and research projects. Adequate information literacy skills would empower an individual to become a lifelong learner. The study investigated patterns of information literacy skills among undergraduates in federal universities in southwestern Nigeria. Questionnaire survey and focus group discussions were used to elicit information from 1318 respondents. Out of the 1318 copies of questionnaire administered 1169 were duly completed and analysed giving a response rate of 88.7. Multi-stage sampling procedure was adopted for the selection of 300L undergraduates for the study. The study found that the level of information literacy skills of the respondents was relatively high. Focus group discussions substantiated the findings of the quantitative aspect of the study by affirming that the level of information literacy skills was relatively high. The study showed a significant relationship between information literacy skills and gender indicating a significant difference in the information literacy skills of male and female undergraduates. Male undergraduates level of information literacy skills was higher than that of their counterparts. Institution and faculty had no statistically significant relationship with the information literacy skills of undergraduates. It was recommended that undergraduates should be regularly given complex tasks that would sustain the high level of information literacy skills to enable them compete favourably with their counterparts globally.