A STUDY ON INFORMATION SEARCH AND COMMITMENT STRATEGIES ON WEB ENVIRONMENT AND INTERNET USAGE SELF-EFFICACY BELIEFS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’

ABSTRACT

This study addresses university students’ information search and commitment strategies on web environment and internet usage self-efficacy beliefs in terms of such variables as gender, department, grade level and frequency of internet use; and whether there is a significant relation between these beliefs. Descriptive method was used in the study. Study group is composed of students attending the first and fourth degrees in several departments at Kocaeli University. Data collected regarding university students’ information search and commitment strategies on web environment and internet usage self-efficacy beliefs were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t test and pearson correlation coefficient. The research results indicate that students' scores on “elaboration” strategy in the Web environment and scores of self-efficacy regarding Internet use were at the intermediate level. Students’ educational Internet use self-efficacy beliefs are moderate according to the highest and lowest points of the survey. The analyses found that there was a relation between Internet use self-efficacy beliefs and information search and commitments strategies within the Web environment. A positive, although low-level, relationship was found between the “elaboration” factor, which is one of the one sub-factors of search and commitment among the information strategies in a Web environment, and self-efficacy with respect to Internet use.