INFLUENCE OF INTERNET USAGE ON STUDENTS’

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

(A CASE STUDY OF THE ABUBAKAR TAFAWA BALEWA UNIVERSITY, BAUCHI)

By
BENEDICT ISHAYA
(15/39146U/5

A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF

MANAGEMENT SCIENCES, DEPARTMENT OF
MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (ATBU)
BAUCHI

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE AWARD OF BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY, IN
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

OCTOBER, 2021

i
 DECLARATION
I declare that this research project titled “influence of Internet usage on students academic
performance" was carried out by Benedict Ishaya and is a record of my own research work. This
project, to the best of my knowledge has not been presented to any institution in application for
any certificate.

Benedict ishaya Date

Mal. Sadiq Musa liman Date

ii
 CERTIFICATION

This is to certify that the project work titled " Influence of internet usage on student

academic performance” by Benedict Ishaya meets the requirement for the award of a Degree

in Management Information Technology (B.Tech MIT) of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University

Bauchi. Therefore, the project is being approved for its contribution to knowledge and factual

presentation.

---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Mal.sadiq muda liman Date and signature
(Project Supervisor)

---------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Hussaini Mamman Date and signature
(Project Coordinator)

-------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Dr. Umar usman Date and signature
(HOD MIT)

------------------------------------------- ---------------------------
Prof. Lawan Abdulwahab Date and signature
(External Examiner)

iii
 DEDICATION
This research is dedicated to the almighty, the lord of the worlds who has preserved my life and

strengthened me to achieve this feat. And also my parents and siblings for their support

throughout this program. My friends too can never be left out as they have made this journey as

memorable as it could have ever been. I am truly grateful to all of you.

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I duly acknowledge the support of my diligent supervisor, for the support he gave me in order to

aid the successful completion of this work. I also acknowledge the encouragement and

contributions of my darling parents (Ishaya galadima and my mother Mary ishaya) and my

brothers, family and friends to the successful completion of this project.

v
 ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Internet usage and academic
performance among university undergraduates. The sample comprised of 285 university
undergraduates. Their responses to the “influence of internet usage on students’ academic
performance was collected and analyzed using methods including descriptive statistics, ANOVA,
and simple linear regression analysis. The results suggested that internet usage has no
significant statistical relationship with academic performance of university undergraduates.
Based on the findings, some suggestions were proposed as a reference for practical applications
and future research.

vi
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION.............................................................................................................................ii

CERTIFICATION..........................................................................................................................iii

DEDICATION................................................................................................................................iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...............................................................................................................v

ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................................vi

LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................................x

LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................................xi

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

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

1.1 Background of the Study........................................................................................................1

1.2 Statement of the Problem.......................................................................................................2

1.3 Research objectives................................................................................................................3

1.4 Research Questions................................................................................................................4

1.5 Scope of the Study...............................................................................................................4

1.6 Significance of the Study.......................................................................................................4

1.8 Definition of Terms................................................................................................................6

LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................7

2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................7

vii
 2.3 The Use of Internet Service in Education..............................................................................9

2.4 Negative Impact of the Internet on Students........................................................................11

2.5 Challenges Encountered by the students in Using Internet Facilities..................................13

2.6 Time Spent on the Internet by the students..........................................................................14

2.7 Internet Access and Academic Performance.......................................................................15

2.8 Empirical Review.................................................................................................................17

2.9 Theoretical Review..............................................................................................................22

2.9.1 Uses and gratifications theory.......................................................................................22

2.9.2 Time displacement theory.............................................................................................22

2.10 Research Framework..........................................................................................................23

2.11 Summary of Literature Review..........................................................................................24

CHAPTER THREE.......................................................................................................................25

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................25

3.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................25

3.2Research Design....................................................................................................................25

3.3 Population of the Study........................................................................................................26

3.3Sample and Sampling Technique..........................................................................................26

3.3.1 Sample size....................................................................................................................26

3.5 Source of Data......................................................................................................................26

3.6 Research Instruments...........................................................................................................27

viii
 3.7 Method of Data Collection...................................................................................................27

3.8Method of Data Analysis......................................................................................................27

CHAPTER FOUR.........................................................................................................................28

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS...............................................................................28

4.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................28

4.2 Characteristics of the Respondents......................................................................................28

4.3 Data Presentation and Analysis............................................................................................29

4.4 Answer to research questions...............................................................................................40

4.5 Summary of Findings...........................................................................................................41

CHAPTER FIVE...........................................................................................................................42

SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION.......................................................42

5.1 Summary..............................................................................................................................42

5.2 Conclusion...........................................................................................................................43

5.3 Recommendation.................................................................................................................43

ix
 LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Demographic Characteristics...........................................................................................28

Table 2: Students preference for using the Internet.......................................................................29

Table 3: Nature of students’ activities on the Internet...................................................................30

Table 4: favorite website...............................................................................................................31

Table 5: Where do you primarily access the internet?..................................................................31

Table 6: when do you use the Internet mostly...............................................................................32

Table 7: On an average day, how much time do you spend using the Internet?...........................32

Table 8: How much time in a day do you spend using the internet for academic purposes?........33

Table 9: How much time in a day do you spend on social internet usage (e.g. Facebook)?.........33

Table 10: I usually spend more time on the Internet than I intended............................................34

Table 11: I go to sleep late at night because of engagement in social Internet usage...................35

Table 12: I cannot cut down the time I spend on social internet usage.........................................35

Table 13: I get less time for academics due to excessive engagement in social Internet usage....35

Table 14: Internet usage and academic performance...................................................................36

Table 15: Model Summary............................................................................................................39

Table 16: ANOVAa........................................................................................................................39

Table 17: Coefficientsa...................................................................................................................39

x
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Research framework.......................................................................................................23

xi
xii
xiii
xiv
 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study

The use of technology is changing the way things are done, including the work in tertiary

institutions where the teaching and learning process require a great deal of improvement (Jibrin,

Musa & Shittu (2017). Information technology offers new prospects for the education system.

Using computers and the Internet makes the learning process more interesting and diverse and

leads to increase in cognitive activity. Many different kinds of internet resources enrich the

teacher and student’s activities (Geladze, 2015).Several people now rely so much on the Internet,

harnessing its benefits for information sharing, collaboration, etc. The internet has largely

improved effectiveness and efficiency of both students and workers by simplifying their work. It

offers a platform for interaction and resource sharing, where millions of people participate and

engage in the creation and exchange of information (Soegoto&Tjokroadiponto, 2018).

The internet is a global system for interconnected computer networks that use the standard

internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide. It is a network of networks that

consist of millions of private, public, academic, business and government network of local to

global scope that are linked by a broad array of electronic, wireless and optical networking

technologies. The internet carries a vast range of information resources and services such as the

interlinked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the infrastructure to

support electronic mail (Emeka&Nyeche, 2016). Internet connects all existing computer

networks (Intranet, Wide Area Network, Metropolitan Area Network, Personal Area Network,

etc.) along with all computers, connected devices (Smartphone, Tablet , Switches, routers, hubs,

and other connecting devices), as well as the computer itself, into a single container world's

xv
computer networks. Internet decrease the distance between countries, families, and religions

(Saeed, 2015). As an emerging technology, the internet relies much on the existing hardware and

software components, which can be highly expensive as it is constantly evolving. To make the

most of this evolving technology, there is need for upgrades in hardware and software (Williams

& Sawyer, 2012).

With increasing impact of information and communication technologies on higher education, all

those concerned with higher education are attempting to grasp how ICT could help in

modernizing the process of teaching, learning and research. Students use the internet as a hub for

research in their various fields of study. This is evident in the way the students consult the

internet for assignments, presentations, research works and examinations (Emeka&Nyeche,

2016). The Internet is now a very essential tool and required by the knowledge-based society for

managing and searching information, communication, research and learning. The use of internet

technology will make it easier for people to obtain several information and the latest information

quickly and effectively. Internet usage is very key to the world, especially to students

(Shahibi&KuRusli, 2017).

It is a relatively novel source for scholarly resources and contains huge amounts of information

that vary a great deal regarding its content, aim, target, group, and reliability. Hence, it is

important that the end user is aware of the diverse information available on the internet and

educated in the criteria by which the information content should be accessed (Emeka&Nyeche,

2016).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Looking around the globe, the internet has occupied an enormous space in the education area and

application of the internet for academic pursuit has become trendy. Books and other printed

xvi
information are almost substituted by electronic resources (Dorji, 2015). The internet is an

invaluable source of academic information used by students for their projects and assignments.

With over 50million websites on the net, students can find information on any subject however

rare, using appropriate search tools. It also serves as a useful tool for lecturers in helping to

prepare lecture guides using a number of sites dedicated to providing educational material

(Emeka and Nyeche, 2016).

The use of the internet gives the students an easy and prompt access to the information they seek,

thereby motivating them to search for information more often. Hence, the use of internet will be

a factor that will affect the academic performance of students (Shahibi& KuRusli, 2017).

However, time spent on activities like “surfing the net” could substitute away time allocated to

reading, studying and completing homework (Jibrin, Musa & Shittu, 2017). Some students go on

the internet not to look for information but to go on social network sites to chat with friend and

also to play games on the internet. People often spend most of their time on the internet instead

of engaging in productive activities. Because of late night internet use, people cannot take proper

sleep and that can lead to so many health problems that can affect the students’ academic

activities (Iyitoğlu&Çeliköz, 2017). As a result, this study examined the nature of internet use,

time spent on the internet and the effectiveness of the use of internet services and its effects on

students’ academic performances.

1.3 Research objectives

The general goal of the study was to examine the influence of Internet usage on students’

academic performance. The specific objectives of the study were:

1. To examine the nature of students’ activities on the internet.

2. To find out how much time the students spend on the internet.

xvii
 3. To investigate the influence of internet use on academic performance.

1.4 Research Questions

This study was guided by the following research questions.

1. What are the purposes for which the students browse the internet?

2. How much time are the students spending on the internet?

3. How does internet services influence student’s academic performance?

1.5 Scope of the Study

This study covers the regular undergraduate students of the faculty of education Abubakar

Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi. The study did not cover all the students of the faculty of

education but science education students only. Also, the 400level students were not included in

the study as they were on Teaching Practice and unavailable for evaluation. In addition, it was

not restricted to any gender and was conducted between the 2018/1019 academic sessions.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be important for school authorities in forming the policies that will guide the use

of the institutions’ internet facilities, such as services that will be allowed on their network. It

will also be helpful to the students to understand what use of the internet will aid their academic

performance and which will have an adverse effect on their academics. The outcome of this

study can help enlighten individuals on how to appropriate their time on the internet and help

promote optimum utilization of the internet.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

xviii
Just like many other studies, this research was not devoid of limitations. One limitation faced by

this study is that, the sample for the study was drawn from only one institution; generalization of

the findings to the total population of the university undergraduates is hence limited.

1.8 Historical Background of the study area

The Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Bauchi was established in 1980 as the Federal

University of Technology (FUT), Bauchi, located in the North Eastern part of Nigeria with Dr.

Jerome Udoji and Professor A. O. Adekola as the pioneer Pro-Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor

respectively, while Alh. Adamu Aliyu was the first Registrar of the University. At inception, the

University inherited the site of the former Bauchi State College of Arts and Science (BACAS) at

Yelwa as temporary site. She also acquired 4,500-hectare parcel of land at Bauchi-Ningi Road as

its permanent site and another parcel of land along Bauchi-Maiduguri Road on which a

residential estate for staff was developed; the estate is called Kari Estate.

The University academic units divided into Schools and Programs at inception until 2014 when

the National Universities Commission (NUC) approved the change of nomenclature from School

to Faculty and from Program to Department. The University started full academic activity at the

Yelwa Campus in October 1981 with the admission of its first batch of 100 students into her Pre-

Degree Program, while Degree Programs began in 1982 in the School (now Faculty) of Science

and Science Education. Two additional Schools (now Faculties), namely the School of

Engineering and Engineering Technology and the School of Agriculture and Agricultural

Technology were established in the 1983/1984 academic session.

The establishment of the School of Technology Education effectively separated Education

courses from the Sciences, and the former School of Science and Science Education was

xix
renamed the School of Science. A major landmark in the history of the University is the

relocation to the permanent site at Gubi. This began with the movement of the Directorate of

Remedial Studies in 2008 followed by the Faculty of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology.

The Central Administration also moved to Gubi Campus in November 2010.

Since inception, the following Chief Executives have managed the University:
S/N Name Date Office Held

1 Professor A. O. Adekola 1980 - 1984 Vice-Chancellor

2 Professor B. G. Bajoga 1984 - 1988 Provost

3 Professor B. G. Bajoga 1988 - 1995 Vice-Chancellor

4 Professor A. S. Sambo 1995 - 2004 Vice-Chancellor

5 Professor G. A. Babaji 2004 - 2009 Vice-Chancellor

6 Professor M. H. Muhammad 2009 - 2014 Vice-Chancellor

7 Professor S. A. Ibrahim 2014 - 2019 Vice-Chancellor

8. Professor M. A. Abdul-Aziz 2019 - Date Vice-Chancellor

1.8 Definition of Terms

Internet – A global system of interconnected computer networks which bear a variety of

information and services

Academic performance –Academic performance refers to how students deal with their studies

and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their tutors.”

Student – A person studying to obtain a higher education

xx
 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction

The essence of literature review is to convey the knowledge and ideas that have been established

on a topic and what their strengths and weaknesses are (Taylor, 2006). It is a narrative chronicle

of information that is currently available, accessible and published, which may be written from a

number of conflicting perspectives, depending on the Viewpoint of the writer (Singhry, 2018).

This chapter will review literatures related to the study. It will explore the nature of internet use

among students, frequency of internet usage, the challenges militating against internet usage,

preferred location of internet access and its effect on the performance of students, among others.

2.2 The Concept of Internet

Technological changes have always been seen as strong evolutionary forces but the advent of

internet has been the most colossal. It has shaken almost all spheres of personal, social and

professional human life. Right from the mere ways of interaction to the running of huge systems,

we are utilizing the conveniences provided by the existence of Internet. Developments made in

the Internet applications are beyond our imagination. Significant benefits have been drawn from

internet being a connection and communication tool (Ahmed & Qazi, 2011).

The Internet started in 1969 under a contract by the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA)

to connect major computers at the universities in the South Western United State. The internet

has no centralized governance in either technological implementation or policies for access and

usage. Each constituent network sets its own standard. Only the over-reaching definitions of the

two principal name spaces in the internet, the internet protocol address, space and the domain

name system, are directed by a maintainer organization. That is the internet co-operation for
xxi
assigned names and numbers (ICANN). The core protocol (IPV4) and (IPV6) is an activity of the

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a non-profit organization of loosely affiliated

international participation that anyone may associate with by contributing technical expertise.

The internet is used mostly in obtaining information. Researchers can publish and access several

publications across the globe through internet, even from their personal computers once they are

connected to the internet. The major functional advantage of the internet stems from its

willingness to share information with others so that everyone can benefit (Emeka & Nyeche,

2016).

The internet proffers a very easy and convenient way to meet the needs of finding the

information we want. News and a variety of necessary information are readily available at a

click. By simply typing a website address or search for it with the search engines, in seconds, the

information we seek we get (Puspita & Rohedi, 2018). Emeka and Nyeche (2016) opined that,

the internet can be conceived as a rich, multi-layered complex ever-changing channel for

information dissemination and a medium for collaborative interaction between individuals and

computers, without regards for geographical limitation of space. To the internet users, the

internet is a global community, one with a very active life.

Over the last decades, access to the internet has improved immensely and is available in many

places such as homes, offices, travels, schools, government agencies, etc.(Yebowaah, 2018). The

use of computer and access to online resources are comparatively important to students (Akende

& Bamise, 2017). The Internet has opened the door to a new way of learning. The wealth of

information available therein far exceeds that of any physical library (Ivwighreghweta & Igere,

2014).With the advent of the internet, Leaner is not dependent on teacher for interaction and

teachers can deliver lecturers virtually to unknown learners. Therefore, in this era, teachers and

xxii
students can carry out their work on the internet in ways that are similar to the traditional ways

that they learn, teach and study in libraries, classrooms, laboratories, seminars, conferences and

so on. The internet can provide access to essentially unlimited sources of information not

conventionally obtainable through other means. The internet has broken down barriers of

communication access from anywhere in the world (Emeka & Nyeche, 2016). Internet

utilization has become the trend for both the developed and developing nations. Since the

internet is one of the finest mediums for information exchange and networking, it has shown

significant growth in size and users over the last two decades in the world (Dorji, 2015).

2.3 The Use of Internet Service in Education

These days, both private and government owned institutions are making huge investments in

ICTs in order to improve the students’ learning. For instance, students from Government schools

colleges and universities in Punjab Pakistan are provided laptops by the Punjab Government, so

that the students could interact with the whole world and know about the latest developments and

innovations (Ali, Haider, Munir, Khan, & Ahmed, 2013).). Recent statistics indicate that the

internet gives people the option to access information sites as well as other sites such as social

media sites, internet games, and cyber-sex (Siraj, Salam, Hasan, Jin, Roslan & Othman, 2015).

The use of the internet in education allows access to a wide range of international resources.

Resources can be well organized on the internet, which allows for easy information access and

exchange. Students and teachers alike use the web because someone has already done the work

of finding the information for them. The internet allows students and teachers “to exchange

greetings, exchange intellectual discourse, conduct meetings, share knowledge, offer emotional

support, make plans, brainstorm ideas, learn about other cultures and otherwise broaden their

mental horizon. The internet provides an activation of sight, sound and cognitive reasoning,

xxiii
engaging students as active learners. Through the internet, many different activities can be

assigned to the student that will enhance their education. Ebersole (2000) suggested four basic

types of internet usage for students. These are:

a. Website, which provides documents or collections of documents that, can be read for

informational purposes. Other types of information gathering services are made

available on the internet, including commercial information services about research

companies. In addition, thousands of libraries are connected to the internet, permitting

even casual users to access their catalogues and request loans through inter-library

programs. In addition to those information services, the number of online journals,

newspapers and trade magazines increases each month. Much of information in these

publications is free, although some are accessible only for paid subscribers

b. E-mail is nothing more than sending/or receiving messages through the computer. It

combines the immediacy of the telephone with the world processing power of

computer. Students use e-mail to keep in touch with friends and relatives and to work

on a project with someone some kilometers away. E-mail is a low-cost form of

communication and unlike telephone or standard postal services, there are no volume

or long distance sub-charges for sending e-mail.

c. Chat rooms are internet facilities where students can communicate with each other

on the computer at the same time, typing messages to each other

d. News group is an electronic bulletin board. News group is an example of the use of

internet in facilitating the development of international perspective in students. He

adds that this encourages teamwork, effective communication and ethics of social and

political action.

xxiv
2.4 Negative Impact of the Internet on Students

The use of ICT and more specifically the Internet has fundamentally changed the conventional

methods of teaching and learning in higher education institutions around the globe (Agabi,

Agbor, & Ololube, 2015). Online media used in teaching are efforts to make improvements or to

enhance the quality of teaching and learning process. In addition, the online media has the

advantage of being able to combine a variety of different media such as text, images, animations,

video and sound. If seen, online media is interactivity where the user does not obtain or

communicate in one way only, but users can communicate bilaterally in obtaining information,

and also carry out activities (Shahibi & Ku Rusli, 2017).

However, Owusu-Acheaw, & Larson (2015) in their study revealed that the use of social media

sites had affected academic performance of the students negatively and that there was direct

relationship between the use of social media sites and academic performance. Below are some of

the ways the internet affects students negatively (Bridges Hope2017).

1. Face to face, social skills are not exercised. At this stage of students’ life, they are

learning about the world around them. While the Internet is supposed to bring people

together, the fact that people only talk online instead of making an effort to meet each

other is sending wrong messages to students and children. The internet affects students by

depriving them of face-to-face, genuine communications that can teach them.

2. Decreasing creativity. Because everything can be found on the internet, students do not

have to make more efforts or look for more ways to know the answer to homework, or

even to their own questions. With the internet, they do not need to pay any more

attention, or think, or make more effort, because everything they need to know is just

within a click of a button.

xxv
3. Time is spent on the internet instead of studying. There is what is called nonessential

internet use, when people tend to aimlessly surf the Internet for information that they

cannot even retain or remember after hours in a session. That is what students do as well.

The time in front of the computer is like being sucked in a black hole, this time would

have been better spent doing more worthwhile, and productive things that help hone

students’ minds and skills.

4. Less family time. Excessive internet usage also steals away time for family. For

example, instead of enjoying dinnertime together, children are engrossed in their devices

even while on the dining table.

5. Staying up late. Some students stay up late at night just poring over random things on

the internet. This is very harmful to the growing minds of students. Also, when they wake

up the next day, they have low energy and tend to not pay attention or even fall asleep in

class.

6. Sedentary lifestyle. Students, especially young children, need to be active. This is

another way for them to develop their minds and bodies. However, being on the internet

most of the time keeps them inactive, just seated on their chairs or even lying down when

they should have been outdoors playing with friends.

7. Tendency for internet addiction. Those who spend more time on line have an increased

risk for developing internet addiction, which can derail the focus and the life of students.

The internet affects students by feeding them with mindless data that can suck them in,

making them vulnerable to getting addicted.

8. Cheating. Homework and other school projects can be copied right off the internet,

making cheating very easy to do with just a few clicks. Academic fraud and plagiarism is

xxvi
 common in school when students can look for ready-made answers on the internet. This

kind of behavior breeds a culture of cheating and easy ways out of any problem.

9. Moral corruption. Everything can be found on the internet–and this also is true for

inappropriate things. Students who are always on the Internet are exposing themselves to

material that can corrupt them. These things can result to bad mental and behavioral

development in these students. In this case, the internet affects students by feeding them

unfiltered information that are harmful for them.

As a result, it is imperative for both parents and teachers to ensure that students have limited

access to internet and materials on the web. It is also up to them to ensure that students are using

their time on the web responsibly.

2.5 Challenges Encountered by the students in Using Internet Facilities

Ensuring the development of skilled, trained, and engaged people who can create, sustain, and

maintain infrastructure and online content and services is critical to development of the Internet.

There are two gaps in Internet adoption that need to be addressed; those for whom access is still

not available, and those who could access the Internet, but choose not to (Internet society, 2017).

According to Ruth and Adedotun (2015), information sources that are mostly available to

Nigerian students are their teachers and lesson notes while library and internet facilities are the

least available to them. In a study conducted by Emeka and Nyeche (2016), 111(56%) of the

respondents said they faced the problem of slow internet speed, 31(16%) said they faced the

problem of power failure, 27(14%) said they had poor computer skills and 45(23%) said they had

challenges in paying for online services. Udende and Azeez (2010) in their research, “Internet

access and use among students of the University of Ilorin, Nigeria”, found that, 181 (47%) of the

respondents were of the view that the general power outage in the country affect them in

xxvii
accessing the internet. One hundred and ninety (49.4%), however, observed that the state of

power do not affect them much while 14 (3.1%) said they are not affected at all. As 296 (76.9%)

attributed their inability to login to power failure, 70 (18.2%) associated it with network failure.

Nwokedi (2007) posits that lack of searching skills is still an obstacle to the use of internet. In

spite of the numerous challenges encountered in the use of internet facilities by undergraduate

students, it is obvious that its use will enhance their academic performances in their various

fields. Therefore, they are to undermine these challenges and avail themselves the enormous

opportunities offered by these technological facilities to enrich their intellects and free

themselves from educational, intellectual and knowledge illiteracy.

2.6 Time Spent on the Internet by the students

Research findings have shown that excessive use of Internet adversely affects one's physical

health, family life, and academic performance (Akhter, 2013).Often the student does not have

time to absorb the information received during lessons due to time spent on the Internet (Talaue,

AlSaad, AlRushaidan, AlHugail, &AlFahha, 2018). While controlled use of the internet can have

positive influence on students’ academic performance (Yebowaah, 2018), It has been recently

reported that adolescents today spend a significant amount of their time on the internet for

multiple purposes (Ogedebe, 2012).Lately, individuals are being addicted to the Internet for

various reasons, such as pornography, Internet gambling, online shopping, and searching for

non-important information or chatting for a very long time (Alam, Hashim, Ahmad, Chel-Wel,

Nor & Omar, 2018), making them to spend so much time on the net for non-beneficial activities.

The number of hours spent on internet will affect the grades of students depending on if the

internet is used for academics or social purposes (Essays, UK, 2018). Social networking sites

have become more and more popular among students, and a major concern have arose over how

xxviii
the use of social media sites among undergraduate students affects their academic performances

(Celestine &Nonyelum, 2018). Students spending a lot of time on the Internet can do more

harm than good (bridges of Hope, 2017).

2.7 Internet Access and Academic Performance

The Internet is an inseparable part of today's educational system (Ivwighreghweta&Igere, 2014).

It provides an environment where millions of people participate and engage in the creation and

exchange of information (Soegoto&Tjokroadiponto, 2018). The use of internet is one of the

major factors affecting the academic performance and social life of university students. (Essays,

UK, 2018).Ngoumandjoka (2012) categorized internet users as heavy and light users. He opined

that, academic work is the key motive while students use the internet. He suggested that heavy

users were found to use the internet more for recreational purpose than the light internet users.

His study also revealed that the more the internet is used for academic work the more it is

perceived to exert a positive influence on academic grades. In a study conducted by Ogedebe

(2012), majority (79%) of the respondents accepted that their academic performance has

improved by using the Internet.

Everybody needs internet for a variety of purposes. Students need internet to search for

information related to exams, curriculum, results, etc. There are many benefits of the internet in

the field of education (The Asian School, 2019). Some of these are:

Cost effective and affordable education: One of the largest barriers to education is high cost.

The Internet improves the quality of education, which is one of the pillars of sustainable

development. It provides education through Videos (like youtube, tutorial videos) and web

tutorials, which is affordable to everyone and cost-effective.

xxix
Student – teacher and peer interaction: One can be in constant touch with their teachers or

with other fellow classmates with the help of internet. Parents can interact as well as

communicate with teachers and school authorities about their kid’s performance in the school.

Interaction with the like-minded people on forums can help students to explore new ideas and

enrich their knowledge.

Effective teaching and learning tool: The Internet has become a major tool for effective

teaching as well as a learning tool. Teachers can use it as a teaching tool in order to gain

students’ achievement. The learning process becomes interesting and diverse with its use.

Teachers can teach with the use of animation, power point slides, and images to capture the

students’ attention.

Easy access to quality education: Teachers can make use of the internet by proving the students

with extra study material and resources such as interactive lessons, educational quiz as well as

tutorials. Teachers can record their lectures and provide it to the students for revisions, which is

better than reading from notes.

Interaction with digital media: Regular use of digital media is one of the most basic parts of

our lives. Digital bulletin boards save paper, allow displaying of videos and audios to attract the

attention of students. There are many paid sites, which provide education resources, which are

rich in quality and easily understandable to masses. Keeping you updated with latest information:

Information is the biggest advantage, which the internet is offering. There is a huge amount of

information available for every subject. It keeps us up to date with the latest information

regarding the subjects.

xxx
Learning with multimedia: It helps the students with the learning process as it helps to simplify

the knowledge. In addition, it helps to visualize what the teachers in school are teaching.

According to Soegoto and Tjokroadiponto (2018), the use of the Internet for study purposes and

academic achievement is directly proportional to each other. While Shahibi and Ku Rusli (2017)

opined that, the use of internet has a very significant impact on students’ achievement in the

learning process but has negative effects on academic achievements as well. Shehu, Urhefe and

Promise (2015) investigated the Accessibility and Utilization of Internet Service in Nigeria

Libraries. The study revealed that (92%, 89%, 100% and 92%) of the participants strongly

agreed that, internet contain more information, internet is more convenient to use, internet is

usefulness in the library and internet is easy to use. On the reasons for which the staff used the

internet, the result revealed that, (67%, 97%, and 94%) strongly agreed on the reasons for which

staff used the internet in Nigeria libraries such as for research, current awareness, update of

knowledge and to develop personal competencies among others.

2.8 Empirical Review

Emeka andNyeche (2016) conducted a study on the Impact of Internet Usage on Academic

performance of undergraduate students at the University Of Abuja, Nigeria. The researchers

employed the Survey method using questionnaires as the instrument for data collection. The

result revealed that the use of Internet is a beneficial tool to students and enhances their skills

and capability, which will assist them in studies and professional life.

Alam, Hashim, Ahmad, CheWell, MohdNor, and Omar (2014) also conducted a research to

study the negative and positive consequences on excessive usage of the Internet among young

adults. As such, there is no dependent and independent variable in the study. Questionnaire

survey was conducted. Four hundred (400) respondents were approached of which 205

xxxi
responded. From the data analysis the researcher found that Internet can have both negative and

positive impact on students’ performance.

A study by Ogungbeni,Adekanye, Bamigbose andSulaiman(2016) investigated the appropriate

and inappropriate use of Internet among undergraduates in Nigeria. The result shows that

majority of the respondents (57.7%) agreed that most journal articles they access are from the

internet. 67.0% of the respondents read dictionaries on the internet. However, only 41.2% agreed

that they download electronic books from the internet. 49.5% of the respondents are not aware of

policy regulating the use of internet in their university student’s handbook. For library guide,

64.0% of the respondents agreed that there is no policy on the use of internet in their library

guide. These results coupled with the personal observation of the authors are pointers to the fact

that there are no enough policies to regulate the use of internet in Nigerian universities.

Islam, Malik, Hussain, Thursamy, Shujahat, &Sajjad (2018) conducted a study on the Motives of

excessive Internet use and its impact on the academic performance of business students in

Pakistan. The study was quantitative in nature and a cross-sectional design was employed. A

sample of 350 business students were considered for the study. The results revealed that

entertainment, social interaction, information seeking, and economic motives play a significant

role in excessive Internet usage, and excessive Internet usage have a negative impact on the

academic performance of students.

Hasnain, Nasreen, &Ijaz (2015) carried out a research to study the relationship between the use

of social media and students’ academic performance in Pakistan. The results suggest, social

media has an inverse relationship with academic performance. However, Social media platform

used in a positive manner can help students and youth in gaining knowledge, that can be used to

enhance their academic performance.

xxxii
Ahmed, Ahmed-Zakariyyah, and Ahmed (2018) in their study examined the influence of internet

usage on senior school Biology students’ in Osun Central Senatorial District, Nigeria. The

research was descriptive and of the survey type. Six hundred (600) students and 20 schools were

selected for this study using simple random sampling technique. The instrument used was a

researchers’ designed questionnaire. The study revealed that access to internet contributes

positively to the achievement of biology students, it was further revealed that student who use

internet for academic purpose and those who do not use it for academic purpose perform at

almost the same level. Hence, the impact is not that significant.

Dorji (2015) conducted a research to study the Impact of the Internet on Academic Performance

of the students at the tertiary level of Education in Bhutan. The research was quantitatively

descriptive in nature. The researcher employed questionnaire to collect primary data from the

respondents using the convenience sampling technique. Data accumulated from the field was

analyzed using SPSS software. The researcher found that depending on the internet to do

academic tasks, for providing the relevant course information and as a reliable academic source

contribute to the academic achievement of the students.

Akhter (2013) conducted a study on the relationship between internet addiction and academic

performance of university undergraduates. Convenient sampling technique was used to draw the

sample and four hundred (400) students filled the self-reported questionnaires. The data

generated was analyzed using SPSS version 17, and it was found that, internet addiction have

negative impact on the academic performance of the students.

Ivwighreghweta and Igere (2014) in their research, Impact of the Internet on Academic

Performance of Students in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria, employed the survey research design

and questionnaire was the instrument used to collect data. Six thousand (6000) copies of

xxxiii
questionnaire were randomly distributed through the help of research assistants. Five thousand

(5000) completed copies were retrieved and found usable. The data was analyzed using

descriptive statistics. The study found that majority of the respondents were computer literate

and that they make use of the internet mainly, for academic activities. Power outage, slow

internet speed, lack of computer terminals, too many hits or information overload, insufficient

computer were some of the problems militating against effective internet access.

Ogedebe (2012) conducted a research at University of Maiduguri Nigeria on students’ academic

performance and internet usage. A questionnaire was designed and administered to students. The

investigation shows that 79% of the respondents accepted that their academic performance

actually improved by using the internet, as 13% thought otherwise, 8% made no response to that

question. When respondents were asked on how internet services have helped their academic

pursuit? The study shows that 8% believed that their GPA has improved remarkably as a result

of the use of the Internet, 6% of the respondents agreed that their GPA has been declining, 28%

responded that it aids them in preparing better for CA and semester examinations, while 22%

were indifferent about the options and therefore did not respond. Majority of the respondents

constituting 36% of the total respondents refused to respond to the question.

Wickramanayake and Muhammad (2018) in their study, Social media use by undergraduate

students of education in Nigeria: a survey, employed a stratified sampling technique to draw the

sample, and 242 teacher, students were selected as a sample from three higher educational

institutions in Gombe State, Nigeria. A questionnaire survey method was used to collect the data.

Data was analyzed by means of simple and inferential statistics. The researchers found that,

majority of the students’ access social media via their mobile phones and social media was

extremely popular for education, entertainment and communication among them. The students

xxxiv
also preferred educational and informational communities to other social media communities.

The study further revealed that effective social media usage among students enhanced their

different types of skills including learning. Unstable electricity connections, security and privacy

issues, internet costs and unreliable internet connections were recorded as some barriers

concerning students’ social media use.

Ekenze, Okafor, Ekenze, NwosuaandEzepue (2017) conducted a research on the Value of

Internet Tools in Undergraduate Surgical Education: Perspective of Medical Students in a

Developing Country at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu. The researchers

undertook a cross-sectional survey of 2013 and 2014 graduating medical class of the College,

using structured self-administered questionnaire. The survey assessed the knowledge, utility, and

application of Internet tools in surgical education. The researchers found that most of the

respondents believe that the tools may have utility in surgical education. However, to further

consolidate and enhance learning experience, it may be useful to integrate this learning modality

with the traditional mode of teaching through a well thought out curriculum modification. 46.7%

of the respondents had formal training on information technology. 90.6% of those trained on ICT

use Internet for education/learning compared to 88.4% (107/121) of those without ICT. 89% of

respondents indicated that Internet tools could be effectively applied in surgical education

specifically in areas of lectures, assignments, real-time procedure demonstration, case discussion,

and interaction with surgical experts. The key benefits are utility as a regular self-assessment tool

and offer of flexible learning schedule. Fifty-two percent strongly agree that combination of the

use of Internet tools with the traditional teaching may give better learning outcome. The major

challenges were; cost of accessing Internet, lack of facility with the technology, and network

availability. Availability of affordable Internet, improvement of training on ICT and

xxxv
encouragement of the use of these tools by faculty were the major suggestions to address the

challenges.

2.9 Theoretical Review

2.9.1 Uses and gratifications theory

Few theoretical frameworks have been utilized in explaining the impact of Internet usage on
users’ academic performance. The uses and gratifications framework, previously been applied to
a wide range of mass media usage and interpersonal communication areas, has been used to
explain expected positive outcomes associated with Internet use (LaRose, Mastro, &Eastin,
2001). According to the uses and gratifications theory, users accept a media such as the Internet,
in order to satisfy different needs. Researchers report that Internet users have primarily accessed
the Internet for communication, entertainment, and for seeking information (Gross, Juvonen, &
Gable, 2001). It is obvious that the Internet is used to gratify individuals’ needs, yet it is less
clear which online activity individuals find most gratifying. Gratification may be based on
cultural values, such as respect for one’s elders or expectation for educational excellence. People
normally use the Internet for three key reasons; communication, entertainment, and for seeking
information but it is yet unclear the primary motivator for Internet use.

2.9.2 Time displacement theory

The time displacement hypothesis, which stems from the reduction hypotheses, assumes that

adolescents have a limited amount of time (Mutz, Roberts, & van Vuuren, 1993). Therefore

increased amounts of time in non-educational use of the Internet may hinder adolescents’

academic achievement. When adolescents increase the time they spend online engaging in social

and or recreational activities, time sacrifices will be made in other areas, such as studying,

reading, and doing homework (Neuman, 1991). This displacement may happen because the

Internet, which entertains adolescents with stimulating images as well as visual and auditory

effects, is more attractive and immediately pleasing than school-related activities. Consequently,

using the Internet will result in the displacement of academic activities, as television once did,

xxxvi
and will eventually decrease the adolescent’s academic performance. Researchers have also

opined that problematic Internet use among adolescents brings negative outcomes in school

performance, as well as to social skills (Caplan, 2005). The higher the time students spend on

social internet usage, the lower their chances of academic success.

2.10 Research Framework

Independent Variables

Nature of Internet activities

Dependent Variables

Academic
performance

Time spent on the Internet

Source: Researcher

Figure 1: Research framework

xxxvii
2.11 Summary of Literature Review

Based on existing literature, the internet have both negative and positive impact on the academic

performance of the students, depending largely on the nature of activities and level of internet

addiction of the students. Ngoumandjoka (2012) categorized internet users as heavy and light

users. He opined that, heavy users were found to use the internet more for recreational purposes

than the light users. He also suggested that the more the internet is used for academic work, the

higher the chances of the students to achieve better academic grades. Despite the enormous

benefits the Internet offers, many Nigerian students are still not able to take full advantage of it

for several reasons. The general power outage in the country affects them in accessing the

internet. Other challenges facing them include network failure, poor Internet searching skill,

Inability to afford the service, etc. (Udende& Azeez2010).

xxxviii
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction

As indicated in the title, this chapter covers the research methodology of the study. In this part of

the report, the researcher will outlines the research strategy, method, approach, the methods of

data collection, selection of the sample, the research process, and type of data analysis, the

ethical considerations and the limitations of the project (Abdullah et al., 2014). The

methodology or methods section explains what you did and how you did it, allowing readers to

evaluate the reliability and validity of the research. It should include; the type of research

conducted, how you collected your data, how the data was analyzed and tools or materials used

in the research as well as the rationale for choosing these methods. The methodology section is

normally written in past tense (McCombes, 2019).

3.2Research Design

(Singhry, 2018) defined research design as the general structure, plan or decision about how

research questions and objectives can be operationalized into a coherent project. Research design

is a plan to answer your research question. A good research design ensures that the data you

obtain will help you answer your research questions more effectively (Lee, 2017). This is a

quantitative study, and in order to ensure the desired goals and objectives of this research, the

survey research design was adopted as the study is concerned with the collection of data for the

purpose of describing and interpreting existing circumstances, prevailing practices, attitudes, etc.

(Emeka and Nyeche 2016).The respondents were be administered questionnaires, where the

academic performance, frequency of internet usage and the nature of internet use among the

respondents were measured.

xxxix
3.3 Population of the Study

The population of a study according to (Singhry, 2018). refers to the total number of the unit of

analysis in the study. The population of this study comprises the total number of undergraduate

students of the department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Abubakar Tafawa

Balewa University Bauchi, but excludes the 400level students as they are currently away on

Teaching Practice. The data were obtained from the examination officer of the department. The

total students of the department are 1470 in number, consisting year one (165), two (355), three

(360), four (353) and year five (237) students. Hence, the population for this study will be

1117(i.e. 1470-353).

3.3Sample and Sampling Technique

Sampling Technique means the process of choosing a sample from a population (Singhry, 2018).

This study employed the simple random sampling technique in selecting the respondents.

3.3.1 Sample size

The sample size for this study was determined based on the table for determining sample size as

suggested by (krejcie and Morgan, 1970). The sample of the population from the table is 285.

3.5 Source of Data

The data sourced in this study includes both primary and secondary data. According Singhry

(2018), Primary data refers to new data that have not been collected before. The primary data in

this study will be sourced from the respondents using the questionnaire, while the secondary data

was derived from previous studies and students records from the department. Secondary data is

just the otherwise of primary data.

xl
3.6 Research Instruments

The questionnaires which is a device used in getting information through answers to questions,

by using a form in which the respondents (students) fill by themselves in relation to the

objectives of the study was used.

3.7 Method of Data Collection

For the purpose of this study, questionnaire was self-administered to the respondents to examine

the effect of the internet on their academic performance.

3.8Method of Data Analysis

The collected data was coded and entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS)

program according to each variable of the study for analysis. Descriptive statistics and simple

linear regression were used for analyzing the data, to explain the phenomena under study.

xli
 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Introduction

This chapter deals with the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data collected from the

respondents. It employs the research design and methodology indicated in the preceding chapter.

In carrying out this research work, the data was gathered through self-administered

questionnaire. Most ingredients of the questionnaire were adapted from the research report of

(Saeed and Dorji 2015). A total of 285 questionnaires were distributed, out of which 267 were

retrieved and used for the analysis. All 267 respondents’ details were keyed into SPSS, and the

individual data were analyzed on a group basis. Methods of data analysis include coding and

entering of data into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics

consisting of frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations test were used in the

analysis.

4.2 Characteristics of the Respondents

Table 1: Demographic Characteristics

Personal information Frequency Percentage
Gender
Male 170 63.7
Female 97 36.3
Age
16-20 80 30
21-25 138 51.7
26-30 39 14.6
Above 30 years 10 3.7
course department
Biology 40 15
Chemistry 26 9.7
Computer 115 43.1
Integrated Science 16 6.0
Mathematics 18 6.7
Physics 52 19.5

xlii
 Internet Experience
Less than a year 51 19.1
1-2 71 26.6
3-4 56 21.0
5 years above 89 33.3
Source: fieldwork 2019

Table 1 shows the details regarding demographical features of respondents of this study. Gender

wise, majority of the respondents were Male (63.7%) and remaining were Female (36.3%) so

both sub-categories represent a good strength. The age group shows that the majority students

are between 21 and 25 years old, which represents 51.7 percent of the group. While 30% are

between the age of 16-20 years, 14.6% between 26-30 years and 3.7% are above 30 years or

above. The table also shows the distribution of the respondents from the sampled options within

the department. It revealed that majority (43.1%) of the respondents were from computer science

education, 19.5% from physics, 15% from Biology, 9.7 from chemistry and 6.7 from

mathematics education. The respondents’ internet experience as displayed in the table shows

that, most of the respondents (33.3%) have at least 5 years’ experience of internet usage. 26.6%

indicated that they have 1-2 years’ experience of using the Internet, 21% agreed they have been

using the medium for about 3 to four years, while the least set among the group (19.1%) are new

to the Internet as they have less than a year experience of using it.

4.3 Data Presentation and Analysis

Table 2: Students preference for using the Internet.

Frequency Percentage (%)

Social networks 123 46.1

Online Video/Music 25 9.4

Online games 11 4.1

xliii
 Academics 108 40.4

Source: field work 2019

Figure 2 shows the students preference for using the Internet. 46.1% of the respondents indicated

that their preference for using the Internet is social media, 40.4% indicated that they prefer using

the Internet for academic purposes, 9.4% of the respondents indicated that their preferred usage

of the Internet is online music/videos, while 4.1% of the respondents indicated that they prefer

using Internet for online games. This means that, the respondents are using the Internet mainly

for social media (recreational purposes), academics, online music/video and online games

respectively.

Table 3: Nature of students’ activities on the Internet

Activities Frequency Percentage (%)
Academic usage
Yes 264 98.9
No 3 1.1
Social usage
Yes 252 94.4
No 15 5.6
Online games
Yes 101 37.8
No 166 62.2
Access to Religious contents
Never 21 7.9
Rarely 100 37.5
Often 109 40.8
Always 37 13.9
Accessing pornography
Never 187 70.3
Rarely 59 22.2
Often 18 6.8
Always 3 1.2
Online relationship
Yes 112 41.9
No 155 58.1
Source: fieldwork 2019

xliv
Figure three shows that 98.9% of the respondents are utilizing the Internet for academic purposes

while 1.1% percent of them do not use it for academics. 94.4% of the respondents engage in

social Internet use while only 5.6% do not. 37.8% of the respondents use the Internet for online

games while 62.2% do not use the Internet for online games. Considering religious utilization of

the Internet, 40.8% of the respondents often uses the Internet for accessing religious contents,

37.5% rarely use it to access religious contents, 13.9 are always using it and 7.9% never use it for

religious purposes. The table also shows the students use of the internet in accessing

pornographic contents. It shows that, 70.3% of the students are not involved in such usage, 22.2

rarely use it, 6.8% often use it and 1.2% are always involved in such usage. Also displayed in the

table is the respondents’ involvement in online relationships, where 58.1% indicated that there

have never been in an online relationship while 41.9 agreed they have either been in it or

currently involved in one.

Table 4: favorite website

Google.com Frequency Percentage (%)
Facebook.com 97 36
Yahoo.com 72 27
Goal.com 40 15
Others 19 7.3
No response 39 14.7
Source: Fieldwork, 2019
As clearly shown in figure 4, it can be seen that 36% of the respondents often use Google’s

website, 27% use Facebook platform and 15% frequents goal.com while 7.3% visit other

websites. 14.7% of the respondents neglected the question. The question was intended to find

out the kind of Websites frequented by the respondents. In order to infer the nature of their

online activities.

Table 5: Where do you primarily access the internet?

Frequency Percentage (%)

xlv
 Home 42 15.7
Mobile phones 187 70
School Internet facility 33 12.4
Others 5 1.8
Source: fieldwork 2019
Figure 5 shows that 70% of the respondents access the Internet via their mobile phones, 15% are

accessing Internet through their home internet facilities, 12.4% via school Internet facilities and

1.8% through other means. This means that only 12.4% are utilizing the school Internet

facilities, which is significantly low, considering the amount of investment the management of

this very institution has committed to the development of the facilities. Hence, the need to

enhance students access to the school Internet facilities. The finding corresponds with that of

Table 6: when do you use the Internet mostly

Frequency Percentage
5-10am 35 13.1
10am-1pm 53 19.9
1pm-7pm 33 12.4
7pm-12am 121 45.3
12am-5am 25 9.4
Source: fieldwork 2019

From figure 6, majority (45.3%) of the respondents prefer to browse between the hours of 7 pm

and 12 am, 19.9% between 10 am and 1pm, 13.1% between 5 am and 10 am, 12.4% during the

hours of 1pm and 7 pm. 9.4% of the total respondents prefer to browse overnight. It can be

concluded that majority of the respondents constituting 45.3% of the total respondents prefer to

browse between 7pm and 12 am. This implies that, most of the respondents are not using the

internet during class sessions.

Table 7: On an average day, how much time do you spend using the Internet?
Frequency Percentage

xlvi
 Never Use 4 1.5
Less than an hour 49 18.4
1-2 hours 90 33.7
2-3 hours 61 22.8
Above 3 hours 63 23.6
Source: fieldwork 2019

The table, figure 7 shows that most (33.7%) of the respondents use the internet for between 1 to

2 hours per day, 23.6% spend above 3 hours every day using the Internet, 22.8% spend between

2 to 3 hours on the Internet each day, 18.4% spend below an hour on the Internet while 1.5%

hardly use it on a daily basis. This shows that, the respondents (students) are not spending

excessive time on Internet usage.

Frequency Percentage (%)

Never use 17 6.4
Less than an hour 73 27.3
1-2 hours 136 50.9
3-4 hours 32 12.0
5 hours above 9 3.4
Table 8: How much time in a day do you spend using the internet for academic purposes?

Source: fieldwork 2019

It could be observed from the figure above (figure 8) that 50.9% of the respondents use the

internet to conduct academic activities for between 1 to 2 hours per day, 27.3% for less than an

hour, 12% for between 3 and 4 hours, 6.4% hardly use it daily and 3.4% for at least 5 hours per

day.

Table 9: How much time in a day do you spend on social internet usage (e.g. Facebook)?
Frequency Percentage (%)
Never 16 6
less than an hour 97 36
1-2 hours 87 32.6
xlvii
 3-4 hours 45 16.9
Above 5 hours 20 7.5
No response 2 1
Source: fieldwork 2019

Figure 9 displays how much time the respondents spend on social Internet usage. It shows that

majority (36%) of the respondents engage in social activities on the Internet for less than an hour

per day, 32.6% for 1-2 hours, 16.9% for between 3 and 4 hours, 7.5% spend over 5 hours per day

and 6% do not engage in it at all. While 1% ignored the question. This shows that majority of the

respondents are not engaged in addictive usage of the social media since over 70% spends below

2 hours on social Internet usage per day(as can be seen from the table).

Table 10: I usually spend more time on the Internet than I intended
Frequency Percentage (%)
Never 20 7.5
Sometimes 186 69.7
Often 44 16.5
Always 15 5.6
No response 2 0.7
Source: fieldwork 2019
Figure 10 displays the extent of students’ control of their internet usage. It shows that, 69.7% of

the respondents sometimes find it difficult to control their Internet usage, 16.5% often find

themselves in this struggle, and 5.6% always find themselves in this situation. Only 7.5%

indicated that they have no issue controlling their Internet usage. This shows that majority of the

respondents sometimes find it difficult to manage the amount of time they spend on the Internet.

This can be very costly as it can lead to a replacement of the time needed to complete other

academic activities.

xlviii
Table 11: I go to sleep late at night because of engagement in social Internet usage
Frequency Percentage (%)
Never 61 22.8
Sometimes 139 52.1
Often 52 19.5
Always 15 5.6
Source: fieldwork 2019
Figure 11 shows that, 52.2% which covers the majority of the respondents sleep late at night due

to engagement in social internet usage, 22.8% indicated that they are not affected by this factor,

19.5% often and 5.6% always sleep late at night due to this. This can lead to not just poor

academic performance but some complicated health issues as well. A lack of sleep will make the

students less efficient in classes, the following day. A repeated occurrence will lead to some

health problems for the students which can even compound their poor academic performance.

Table 12: I cannot cut down the time I spend on social internet usage
Frequency Percentage (%)
Never 56 21
Sometimes 135 50.6
Often 54 20.2
Always 22 8.2
Source: fieldwork 2019
Figure 12 shows that majority of the respondents (50.6%) sometimes struggle to reduce the time

they spend on Internet usage, 21% feel they can cut down their Internet usage, 20.2% often

struggle to reduce their time on the internet and 8.2% are always struggling to cut down their

time on the Internet.

Table 13: I get less time for academics due to excessive engagement in social Internet
usage

Frequency Percentage (%)

xlix
 Never 137 51.3
Sometimes 80 30.0
Often 40 15.0
Always 10 3.7
Source: fieldwork 2019

Figure 13 shows that 51.3% of the respondents indicated that their Internet usage is not affecting

the time for their academics, 30% sometimes have not enough time for their studies due to

involvement in Internet activities, 15% often find little time for their studies because of Internet

usage and 3.7% always find no time for their studies as a result of the involvement in online

activities.

Table 14: Internet usage and academic performance

SD D N A SA Mean Std. Dev.
I depend on the Internet for 36 34 71 81 45 3.2434 1.26130
most of my academic tasks 13.5% 12.7% 26.6% 30.3% 16.9%
The Internet is a reliable 22 8 19 105 113 4.0449 1.16571
source of academic 8.2% 3.0% 7.1% 39.3% 42.3%
information
The Internet can help me 11 13 19 103 121 4.1610 1.03342
improve my academic 4.1% 4.9% 7.1% 38.6% 45.3%
performance
I prefer using the Internet to 6 31 66 90 74 3.7303 1.05948
the other sources of 2.2% 11.6% 24.7% 33.7% 27.7%
academic information (such
as textbooks)
Using Internet will enable 16 9 13 112 117 4.1423 1.07008
me to accomplish tasks 6% 3.4% 4.9% 41.9% 43.8%
more quickly
The advantages of the 10 26 45 93 93 3.8727 1.10988

l
 Internet outways its 3.7% 9.7% 16.9% 34.8% 34.8%
disadvantages
I have fewer problems than 22 54 42 98 51 3.3820 1.23397
my friends/course mates due 8.2% 20.2% 15.7% 36.7% 19.1%
to use of internet
Source: Fieldwork 2019

Figure14 shows the impact of Internet usage on academic activities of the students. When

responses were obtained about how they depend on the Internet for their studies, 16.9% strongly

agreed that they depend on the Internet for most of their academic activities, 30.3% agreed that

they depend on it, 26.6% are undecided, 12.7% disagreed while 13.5% strongly disagreed to the

fact that they depend on the Internet for most of their academic activities. With a mean of 3.24, it

means the respondents are neutral as to their level of dependency on the Internet for academics.

Also, when queried about the reliability of the Internet as a source of academic information,

42.3% strongly agreed to this, 39.3% agreed, 7.1% were neutral, 3.0% disagreed while 8.2%

strongly disagreed to the suggestion that the Internet is a reliable source for academic

information. A mean of 4.04 for the responses means that, the respondents agreed to this

assertion.

Similarly, 45.3% of the respondents strongly agreed that, the Internet aids their academic

performance, 38.6% also agreed that it can help them improve their performance. 7.1% were

neutral while 4.9% disagreed and 4.1% strongly disputed this claim. With a mean of 4.16, it

means the respondents agreed to the proposition that the Internet improves their academic

performance. Likewise, when the respondents were queried if the Internet is their preferred

source of academic Information, 27.7% strongly agreed that they prefer the internet to the other

sources of academic information, 33.7% agreed that the Internet is their preferred source of

li
academic information, 24.7% of the respondents are undecided, 11.6% disagreed that the Internet

is their preferred source of academic information, and 2.2% strongly disagreed that they prefer

the Internet over the other sources of academic information. With a mean of 3.7, it means that the

respondents agreed that the Internet is their preferred source for seeking academic information.

In the same vein, majority (43.8%) of the respondents strongly agreed that the Internet helps

them complete tasks more quickly, 41.9% agreed that it enables them to complete tasks quicker,

4.9% are undecided about this, while 3.4%, disagreed to this and 6.0% strongly disagreed that

the Internet enables them to complete tasks more quickly. A mean of 4.14 suggests that, the

respondents agreed to the assertion that the Internet enables them to complete tasks in lesser time

frame. Also, 34.8% strongly agreed that the internet have more advantages than disadvantages,

34.8% also agreed that the advantages of the Internet exceeds its disadvantages, while 16.9%

were undecided. 9.7% disagreed that the Internet has more benefits than side effects, and 3.7%

strongly disagreed that the Internet has more advantages than disadvantages. A mean of 3.87

suggests that, the respondents agree that the advantages of the Internet is greater than its

disadvantages. Likewise, 19.1% strongly agreed that they have fewer problems than their

friends/course mates due to Internet usage, 36.7% agreed that they face less difficulties than their

friends/course due to the advantage they enjoy as a result of Internet usage, 15.7% were

undecided, 20.2% disagreed, and 8.2% strongly disagreed that they have fewer problems than

their friends/course mates. A mean of 3.38 indicates that, the respondents are undecided as to

whether they have lesser problem than their friends/course mates as a result of their Internet

usage.

Table 15: Model Summary

Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the
Estimate
lii
From the table above, it can be seen that, academic internet usage accounts for only a meager

0.000169% of the variations in students’ academic performance. That means, 99.9831% of the

variations in the students’ academic performance is explained by other factors.

Table 16: ANOVAa

Model Sum of df Mean Square F Sig.
Squares
Regression .030 1 .030 .046 .831b
1 Residual 175.430 265 .662
Total 175.461 266
a. Dependent Variable: What is your CGPA?
b. Predictors: (Constant), How much time in a day do you spend using the internet for
academic purposes?

Table 17: Coefficientsa

Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized t Sig.
Coefficients
B Std. Error Beta
(Constant) 2.079 .169 12.297 .000
How much time in a day -.012 .058 -.013 -.214 .831
1 do you spend using the
internet for academic
purposes?
a. Dependent Variable: What is your CGPA?

From table 17 above, it can be seen that, at 0hours of academic Internet usage, an average

student is assumed to have a CGPA of 2.079, an hour increase in the student’s usage, there will

be a –0.012 change in the students’ CGPA, which is incomprehensible. A significance

coefficient of 0.831 which is greater than the alpha level of 0.05 means, there is no statistical

relationship between Internet usage and academic performance.

liii
4.4 Answer to research questions

Question 1: What are the purposes for which the students browse the internet?

From the responses gathered, it can be seen that the respondents use the Internet mainly for

social media and academic purposes. Also many of the respondents often use the Internet to

accessreligious contents. Other uses to a lesser extent includes online games, online

relationships, and only very few of the respondents are using the Internet to access pornographic

contents as majority of them (&70.3%) indicated that they do not use the Internet for such

purposes, as shown in figure 3.

Question 2: How much time are the students spending on the internet?

This study revealed that majority of the students are accessing the internet via their mobile

phones and prefer browsing between the hours of 7pm and 12am, as shown in figure 5 and 6

respectively. Figures 7, 8 and 9 respectively show that, majority of the respondents spend

between 1-2 hours on the Internet daily, most of them (50.9%) spend between 1-2 hours on

academic activities on the Internet and 36%, spend less than an hour on social media activities on

the internet. It also revealed that, majority of the respondents often spend more time on the

Internet than they intended. As shown by figure 13,majority of the respondents (51.3%) indicated

that their Internet usage is not affecting the time for their academics.

Question 3: How does internet services influence student’s academic performance?

As shown in figure 14, the respondents agreed that the internet is a reliable source of academic

information and that the Internet can help them improve their academic performance. The

respondents also indicated that they prefer the internet to the other sources of academic

liv
information and believe, the Internet can help them complete tasks more quickly. Also, the

respondents agreed that the Internet does offer more advantages than disadvantages.

4.5 Summary of Findings

This study revealed that, the students’ major activities on the Internet includes; academic usages,

social usages, and using the Internet to access religious contents. It further showed that, most of

the students spend about 2 hours per day, on the Internet. A larger percentage of the students

prefer to browse the Internet between 7pm to 12am. Although, many of the students indicated

that they cannot cut down their time on the Internet and that they sometimes go to sleep late at

night due to social Internet uses, they argued that, it is not affecting the time for their academics.

Considering the efficacy of the Internet in academic activities, the respondents largely agreed

that, the Internet is a reliable source of academic information and is capable of helping them

perform better in their academic activities. They concur that the Internet can help them complete

tasks more quickly and it is their preferred source for seeking academic information over the

other sources (such as textbooks). They agreed that they depend on the Internet for most of their

academic activities. However, despite the views of the respondents, the regression test does not

show any significant relationship between students Internet usage and their academic

performance.

lv
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Summary

This study was undertaken to explore the effect of Internet usage on students’ academic

performance. In the university, students are often faced with examinations, assignments, projects,

and several other academic activities. Thus, for students to attain good academic performance, it

is essential for them to maintain good health, and as well manage the time for their academics

efficiently. This study is crucial, to determine the frequency of internet use among the students,

determine the influence of internet usage on students’ academic performance and to investigate

the nature of students’ activities while surfing the net. The study revealed that, most of the

students spend about 2 hours on the Internet per day and prefer surfing the Internet between 7pm

and 12am. Most of them are accessing the Internet via their mobile phones and they sometimes

spend more time on the net than they initially planned, with some of them going to sleep late at

night due to social Internet usage.

Many of the students indicated that they use the Internet mostly for social and academic

activities, and they also use it to access religious contents. Other uses to a lesser extent include

online music/videos, online relationships and online games. Only a very few of them use the

Internet to access pornographic sites. Considering the helpfulness of the Internet on academic

activities, majority of the respondents agreed that the Internet is a reliable source for academic

information and they even prefer using it to the sources of academic information such as

textbooks. They concur that the Internet can help them complete tasks more quickly, and aids

their academic performance. They agreed that they depend on the Internet for most of their

lvi
academic activities. However, the regression test implies that, there is no significant statistical

relationship between Internet usage and academic performance.

5.2 Conclusion

Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that Internet usage have no significant

influence on the students’ academic performance, as suggested by the regression test. However,

the number of hours spent on the internet may affect the students' learning / academic positively,

if the students are using online media well without wasting time with things that are not

beneficial. This is because, it offers access to a variety of educational information sources and

aids quick completion of tasks.

5.3 Recommendation

Grounded on the findings gathered from this study, the following recommendations were made:

i. Giving the convenience and quick access the Internet offers to academic materials,

lecturers should make efforts in inculcating the habit of using the internet to students

by integrate their instructions with the internet as much as possible.

ii. The school management should grant more access to the students to utilize the school

Internet facility for their studies.

iii. Awareness programs should be put in place to sensitize students on how to manage

their use of the internet effectively, in terms of how much time they spend and the

nature of their activities on the Internet.

iv. Students should abstain from using pornographic sites, as it may lead to many side

effects such as, Internet addiction, moral decadence, and some health issues as well.

v. Future study should be conducted on a larger scale in order to facilitate more

inclusive findings.

lvii
 REFERENCES

Abdulahi, A., Samadi, B and Gharleghi, B. (2014). “A Study on the Negative Effects of Social

Networking Sites Such as Facebook among Asia Pacific University Scholars in

Malaysia”. International Journal of Business and Social Science.Vol. 5 (10)

Agabi, C. O., Agbor, C. N. &Ololube, N. P. “ICT Policy Outcomes for National Development:

The Place of Knowledge Integration and Management in Nigerian Higher Education”.

American Journal of Networks and Communications. Vol. 4 (5): 104-111.

Agil, M. & Ahmad .P. (2011). Use of the internet by research scholars and Post Graduate

Students of the Science Faculty of Aligarh Muslim University. Library philosophy and

practice. Retrieved on 19 July 2019 from http:/unllib/unl.edu/lpp/

Ahmed, I and Qazi, T. F (2011). “A look out for academic impacts of Social networking sites

(SNSs): A student based perspective”. African Journal of Business Management. Vol.

5(12): 5022-5031

Ahmed, M. A, Ahmed-Zakariyyah, R. B, & Ahmed A. R. (2018). “Influence of Internet Usage

on Senior School Students’ Achievement in Biology in Osun State, Nigeria”. KIU

Journal of Humanities. Vol. 3 (2).

Akande, S. O. and Bamise, O. F. (2017). “The Role of School Library in Academic Motivation

of Secondary School Students in Osun State, Nigeria”. International Journal of Library

Science, Scientific & Academic Publishing. Vol. 6(1): 18-27

Akhter, N. (2013). “Relationship between Internet Addiction and Academic Performance among

University Undergraduates”. Journal of Science and Technology Education Research.

lviii
 Vol 8 (19): 1793-1796

Alakpodia. O. N. (2010). “The use of internet skills among library and information students: The

experience of Delta State University, Abraka. Information Impact”. Journal of

Information and Knowledge Management. Vol 1 (2): 55-50

Alam, S. S., Hashim, N. M. H. N., Ahmad, M., Chel-Wel, C. A., Nor, S. M. & Omar, N. A.

(2018). Negative and positive impact of internet addiction on young adults:Empirical

study in Malaysia. http://dx.doi.org/10.3926/ic.452. Retrieved on 27th august 2019.

Awoleye, Siyanbola and Oladipo (2008). “Adoption Assessment of Internet Usage amongst

Undergraduates in Nigerian Universities- A case study approaches”. Journal of

technology, Management and Innovation. Vol 3 (1)

Baundura, A. (1994). Social cognitive theory of mass communication. In J. Bryant & D.

Zillmann (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Bryant, J. A., Sanders-Jackson, A., & Smallwood, A. K. (2006). “IMing, text messaging, and

adolescent social networks”. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Vol 11

(10).

Caplan, S. E. (2005). “A social skill account of problematic Internet use. Journal of

communication”. Vol 55: 721-736.

Celestine, A. U &Nonyelum O. F. (2018). “IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS’

ACADEMIC PERFORMANC”. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering

Research. Vol 9(3): 2229-5518

lix
Celestine, A. U, &Nonyelum, O. F. (2018). “Impact of Social Media on Students’ Academic

Performance”. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research. Vol. 9 (3)

Dorji, L. (2015) The Impact of the Internet on Academic Performance of the students at the

tertiary level of Education in Bhutan.(PGDA Thesis) Royal Institute of Management.

Ebersole, S. (2000). ”Uses and Gratifications of the Web among Students. Journal of Computer

Mediated Communication”. Vol.6 (1): 6-31

Emeka, U. J. and Nyeche, O. S. (2016).” Impact of Internet Usage on the Academic Performance

of Undergraduates Students: A case study of the University of Abuja, Nigeria.”

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research. Vol 7(10): 2229-5518

Geladze, D. (2015). “Using the Internet and Computer Technologies in Learning/ Teaching

Process”. Journal of Education and Practice. Vol.6 (2), 2222-1735

Gross, E. F., Juvonen, J. & Gable, S. L. (2001). “Internet use and well-being in adolescence”.

Journal of Social Issues Special Issues. Vol 58, 75-90.

Hasnain, H., Nasreen, A., &Ijaz, H. (2015). Impact of social media usage on academic

performance of university students. In 2nd International Research Management &

Innovation Conference (IRMIC).

Huesman, L. R., & Miller, L. S. (1994). Long-term effects of repeated exposure to media

violence in childhood. In L. R. Huesmann (Ed.), Aggressive behavior: Current

perspectives. New York: Pleanum.

Internet Society(2017). A policy framework for enabling Internet access. Internetsociety.org.

Retrieved on 27 May 2019.

lx
Islam, S., Malik, M. I., Hussain, S., Thursamy, R., Shujahat, M., &Sajjad M. (2018). “Motives of

excessive Internet use and itsimpact on the academic performance ofbusiness students in

Pakistan”. Journal of Substance Use. Vol. 23(1).

Ivwighreghweta, O. &Igere M. A. (2014). “Impact of the Internet on Academic Performance of

Students in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria”. Journal of information and knowledge

management. Vol 5(2): 2141-4297

Iyitoğlu, O. &Çeliköz, N. (2017). ” Exploring the Impact of Internet Addiction on Academic

Achievement”. European Journal of Education Studies. Vol 3 (5)

Jackson, L.A., von Eye, A., Biocca, F. A., Barbatsis, G., Zhao, Y., & Fitzgerald, H. (2006).

“Does home Internet use influence the academic performance of low-income children?”.

Journal of Developmental Psychology. Vol 42 429-435.

Jibrin, M. A, Musa, M. N. and Shittu, T. (2017). “Effects of Internet on the Academic

Performance of Tertiary Institutions’ Students in Niger State, Nigeria”. International

Journal of Education, Learning and Training. Vol 2(2): 2289-6694

Kamba, M.A. (2009). “The changing role of researchers in Nigeria: The Internet as an alternative

future to modernity. Library Philosophy and Practice”.

http://unllib.unl.edu/LPP/kamba.htm. Retrieved on 19th July 2019.

Kaur, A. (2019). Internet use for entertainment and information.

http://www.zonalatina.com/Z1data129.htm. Retrieved on 17th July 2019.

Krejcie, R.V., & Morgan, D.W. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research

Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement. Vol. 30, 607-610

lxi
Kumar, R. & Kaur, A. (2006). “Internet Use by Teachers and Students in Engineering Colleges

of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh states of India: An analysis”. Electronic

Journal of Academic and Special librarianship. Vol 7(1): 1–12.

LaRose, R., Mastro, D. &Eastin, M. S. (2001). “Understanding Internet usage: A social-

cognitive approach to uses and gratifications”. Journal of Social Science. Vol 19: 395-

413.

Lee, M. (2017). “Difference between Research Design and Research strategy”. https://classroom.

Synonym.com/difference-research-design-research-method-7329595. Retrieved on 22

September, 2019

Li, X., & Atkins, M. (2004). “Early childhood computer experience and cognitive and motor

development”.journal of Pediatrics.Vol 114: 1715-1722.

McCombes, S. (2019). “How to write a research methodology”.

https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/ methodology/. Retrieved on 21 September 2019.

Mutz, D., Roberts, D. F., & van Vuuren, D. P. (1993). “Reconsidering the displacement

hypothesis: Television’s influence on children’s time use”. Journal of Communication

Research. Vol 20: 51-75.

Neuman, S. (1991). Literacy in the television age. Norwood: Ablex Publishing.

Ngoumandjoka, U. (2012). Correlation between Internet Usage and Academic Performance

among University Students. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Nwokedi, V.C.( 2007). “Impact of Internet Use on Teaching and Research Activities of the

Academic Staff of Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Jos. A case study of

lxii
 University of Jos”. Gateway Library Journal. Vol 10 (1): 13-22.

Ogedebe P.M (2012). Internet usage and students’ academic performance in Nigeria tertiary

institution: A case study of University of Maiduguri. Academic research 2 (3)1-10

Ogungbeni, J. I., Adekanye, A.O., Bamigbose, A. A. &Sulaiman, M. A. (2016). “Internet Use

among Undergraduates in Nigeria: The Role of Policy”. Journal of Information and

Knowledge Management. Vol. 6(6): 88-94.

Owusu-Acheaw, M., & Larson, A. G. (2015). “Use of Social Media and Its Impact on academic

performance of Tertiary Institution Students: A Study of Students of Koforidua

Polytechnic, Ghana”. Journal of Education and Practice. Vol 6(6): 94-101.

Puspita R. H. and Rohedi D. (2017). “The Impact of Internet Use for Students”. Conference of

Materials Science and Engineering.

Robinson, J.W.(2006). Internet use among African-American college students: An Exploratory

study. Retrieved from ProQuest database.20

Ruth A. A. and Adedotun, A. (2015). Perceived Influence of Information Sources Availability

and Use on the Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in a Nigerian

Metropolitan City. American Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 3(11):1346-1349.

Shahibi, M. S. and Ku Rusli, K. K. (2017). “The Influence of Internet Usage on Student’s

Academic Performance”. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and

Social Sciences. vol 7 (8)

Shehu, H., Urhefe, E. A. & Promise, A. (2015). “Accessibility And Utilization Of Internet

Service In Nigeria Libraries: An Empirical Study”. International Journal of Academic

lxiii
 Research and Reflection. Vol. 3(5): 78-89.

Shin, N. (2004). “Exploring pathways from television viewing to academic achievement in

school age children”. The Journal of Genetic Psychology.Vol 165: 367-38

Singhry, H. B. (2018). Research Methods made easy. Bauchi, Bauchi State. Greenleaf Publishing

Company

Siraj, H. H., Salam, A., Hasan, N. A., Jin, T. H., Roslan, R. B. and Othman, M. N. B.
(2015).Internet Usage and Academic Performance: A Study in a Malaysian Public
University.Japan Health Sciences University & Japan International Cultural Exchange
Foundation. International Medical Journal. Vol. 22(2):83 – 86.
Soegoto E. S. and Tjokroadiponto S. (2018). “Effect of Internet on Student's Academic

Performance and Social Life”. Conference of Materials Science and Engineering.

UniversitasKomputer Indonesia, Indonesia.

Subrahmanyam, K., Greenfield, P., Kraut, R., & Gross, E. (2001). The impact of computer use

on children and adolescents’ development. Applied Developmental Psychology, 22, 7-30

Talaue, G. M., AlSaad, A., AlRushaidan, N., AlHugail, A., &AlFahha, S. (2018). “The Impact

of Social Media on Academic Performance of Selected College Students”. International

Journal of Advanced Information Technology (IJAIT). Vol. 8 (4/5).

Tarpley, T. (2001). “Children, the Internet, and other new technologies”. In D. G. Singer & J. L.

Singer (Eds), Handbook of children and the media (pp.73-99).

Taylor, D. 2006. The literature review: A few tips on conducting it. Available at: http://www.

utoronto.ca/writing/litrev html. Retrieved on 10 July 2019.

The Asian School (2019). Role of Internet in Education.

https://www.theasianschool.net/blog/role-of-internet-in-education. Retrieved on May 10,

lxiv
 2019.

Udende .P. &Azeez, A.L (2010). “Internet access and use among students of the University of

Ilorin, Nigeria”. Journal of Communication and Media Research. Vol 2 (1):33 – 42

Valkenburg, P. M., & van der Voort, T. H. A. (1994). “Influence of TV on daydreaming and

creative imagination: A review of research”. Journal of Psychological Bulletin.Vol 116:

316-339.

Virtic M. P. (2012). “The Role of Internet in Education”. 9th International Scientific Conference

on Distance Learning in Applied Informatics. University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.

Williams, b. k. and sawyer, s. c. (2012). Using information technology (10 thed). McGraw Hill:

New York.

Yebowaah, F. A. (2018). "Internet Use and its Effect on Senior High School Students in Wa

Municipality of Ghana". Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 1817

lxv
 APPENDIX

The Influence of Internet Usage on Student’s Academic Performance

This questionnaire is designed to measure the Influence of Internet Usage on Student’s Academic
Performance. Your cooperation in completing this study and your honest answers to the following
questions will be greatly appreciated. There is no right or wrong answers; we are only interested in your
views.

PERSONAL PROFILE
Please indicate your department/course option:
What is your gender?Male [ ] Female [ ]
What is your age?
16-20 years 21-25 years 26-30 years 30 years and above
Nature of Students activities on the internet

Do you use the Internet?

Yes [ ] No [ ]
How long (in years or months if less than 1 year) have you been using the Internet?

My preference for using the internet is

Social networks Online videos/music Online games Academics
Do you use the Internet for academic activities such as assignment and research?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Do you use the internet for social networking purposes (e.g. Facebook)?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Do you use the Internet for online games?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Do you use the Internet to access religious contents?
Never Rarely Often Always
Do you use the Internet to access pornography?
Never Rarely Often Always
Have you ever been in or currently in an online relationship?
Yes No
What is your favorite website on the Internet?

lxvi
Time Spent on the Internet/place of internet Access

Where do you primarily access internet?

Home Mobile phones School Others(please specify)

When do you use the internet mostly?

5-10am 10am-1pm 1-7pm 7pm-12:00 12am -5am
On an average day, how much time do you spend using the internet?
Almost never Less than 1 hour 1-2 hour 2-3 hour 3 hours above
How many hours a day do you use the internet for Academic purposes?
Never Less than 1 hour 1-2 hours 3-4 hours 5 hours above
How many hours a day do you spend on social internet usage (e.g. Facebook)?
Never 0 - 1 hour 1-2 hours 3-4 hours 5 hours above
I usually spend more time on the internet than I intended
Never Some times Often Always
I go to sleep late at night because of engagement in social internet usage (e.g. Facebook)
Never Sometimes Often Always
I cannot cut down the time I spend on social internet usage (e.g. Facebook)
Never Sometimes Often Always
I get less time for academics due to excessive engagement in social internet usage (e.g. Facebook)
Never Sometimes Often Always

Internet and Academic Performance

Please indicate the extent to which Strongly Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
you agree or disagree with the disagree agree
following statements
I depend on the Internet for most of
my academic tasks
The Internet is a reliable source for
academic information
The Internet can help me improve my
academic performance
I prefer using the Internet to the other
sources of academic
information(such as textbooks)
Using Internet will enable me to
accomplish tasks more quickly
The advantages of the Internet
outweigh the disadvantages
I have fewer problems than my
course mates/friends due to use of
internet

lxvii