Digital Literacy and Academic Achievement in Principles of Marketing among Business Education Students in Public Universities in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

The Post – COVID-19 experience hastening the paradigm shift to e-learning has exposed some
structural gaps in many public universities, where limited digital literacy continues to hinder
business education students’ academic achievement and practical readiness. This paper
investigated the influence of Digital Literacy as Determinants of Academic Achievement in
Principles of Marketing among Business Education Students in Public Universities in Southwest,
Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was used. The population of the study was 4607 Business
Education Students with a sample of 363 respondents. Two instruments Digital Literacy
Questionnaire (DLQ) (r = 0.73) and Principles of Marketing Achievement Test (PMAT) (r= 0.82)
were used for data collection. Frequencies, Percentages, Means, and Multiple Regression were
used for data analysis. The result showed that there is a moderate level of digital literacy (mean =
3.0) and low level of academic achievement in Principle of Marketing (mean = 2.47). The
regression analysis revealed that digital literacy significantly influenced academic achievement (R
= 0.522, R2 = 0.272, (1,299) = 111.991, p<0.05). The study concludes there is a gap between
students’ ability to navigate digital tools and their academic achievement, suggesting that digital
literacy alone may not directly translate to higher academic outcomes without targeted support and
academic engagement strategies. Recommendations included, integration of blended learning that
combine learning tools with traditional teaching, organization of regular digital literacy
workshops, and establishment of digital literacy clubs or peer mentoring systems.