Development of a conceptual model of ICT self-efficacy and the use of electronic information resources

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify the ICT self-efficacy (ICTSE) of users, factors affecting ICTSE, and the EIR usage of undergraduates based on the four sources in relation to the self-efficacy theory. The Survey research design was used in carrying out this research. A structured questionnaire was validated through experts and piloted among the final year undergraduates studying Humanities and Social Sciences of four state universities in Sri Lanka. The structural equation modelling was performed using partial least square. The model revealed that ICTSE has a direct, negative, and significant relationship with ICT anxiety and that ICT training also has a direct, negative, and significant relationship with EIR. The model explained that there is a 27% of variance in the EIR use variable. The management of the library may deem it a worthy investment to instil adequate self-efficacy in users and encourage them to engage in more self-reliant search practices and decrease their dependence on staff. The finalized scales provide a potential tool applicable to different domains and disciplines to yield more common managerial implications in relation to training, teaching, and learning along with can be used as a tool when policy-level decision are made about the behavioral changes among university users on EIR usage in the current ICT domains within the university library systems.