Information literacy and learners’ satisfaction: The mediating role of social networking technology usage

This paper aims to empirically examine the relationships among information literacy (IL), social networking technology usage (SNTU) and learners’ satisfaction (LS) among university students. The research also aims to determine whether SNTU has a mediating role in the relationship between IL and LS.

Based on the proposed framework, a self-administered questionnaire was adopted to gather data from students at Komar University of Science and Technology. Of a total of 520 questionnaires, 335 were returned and subsequently used for statistical analysis. The collected data were analysed using Smart-PLS software version 3.2.0.

The results of the present research indicate that both IL and SNTU have significant effects on LS. Furthermore, the results suggest that SNTU has a mediating role in the relationship between IL and LS and that IL has the ability to strengthen LS via SNTU.

This study offers significant insights that could guide educational institutions in their understanding of LS and the key factors that may affect it. Previous studies have not prioritized the impact of IL and SNTU on LS, and thus the results of this study can serve as a basis for enhancing LS in other educational sectors.