Influence of Digital Literacy on Academic Performance of Library and Information Science Postgraduate Students at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (Iaue), Port Harcourt

This study investigated the influence of digital literacy on the academic performance of Library and Information Science (LIS) postgraduate students at Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE). Employing a descriptive survey design, it aimed to examine how digital literacy factors such as information literacy, digital communication, and digital content creation impact academic outcomes. The target population consisted of 28 LIS postgraduate students from the 2023/2024 academic session. Given the small population size, the census sampling technique was used, ensuring data collection from all participants through a structured 4-point Likert Scale questionnaire titled: Digital Literacy and Academic Performance Questionnaire (DLAPQ). This questionnaire allowed participants to express their level of agreement or disagreement on various aspects, ranging from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 4 (Strongly Agree). Mean scores and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) were used for data analysis. Results revealed that information retrieval literacy (x̄=4.44), digital communication (x̄=4.30), and digital content creation (x̄=4.32) significantly enhance the academic performance of LIS postgraduate students at IAUE. The results also indicated that digital literacy (information retrieval) significantly impacts academic performance among IAUE postgraduate students (r= 0.752>p=0.000<p=0.05). Consequently, it is recommended that LIS postgraduate students attend mandatory training workshops to improve information retrieval skills, are encouraged to participate in collaborative platforms to enhance online communication, and receive institutional support for developing digital content creation skills through multimedia design and presentation workshops, which would further strengthen their academic and research capabilities.