AWARENESS, ACCESSIBILITY, USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL COMPETENCE OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS IN UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Social competence, the ability of a person to handle social interaction effectively, is important for the academic success of library and information science postgraduate students. However, there are records of low level of social competence among most library and information science postgraduate students in universities in Nigeria. Previous studies focused largely on social media use with little attention paid to social competence of library and information science students with regard to awareness, accessibility and use of social media. Therefore, this study was carried out to examine the awareness, accessibility and use of social media as predictors of social competence of library and information science postgraduate students in Nigerian universities. Social Cognitive and Uses and Gratifications theories provided the framework. The survey design of the correlational type was adopted. Sixteen library schools and 742 library and information science postgraduate students were enumerated. The instruments used were Awareness of Social Media (r= 0.96), Accessibility to Social Media (r=0.96), Use of social media (r=0.96), Social Competence (r=0.76) and Social Competence Challenges (r=0.81) scales. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation and Multiple regression at 0.05 level of significance. The respondents’ age was 32.50 ± 9.10 years, and 54.2% were female. The full-time students were 70.7%. Awareness of social media ( =106.40), accessibility to social media ( =104.26), and use of social media ( =127.86) were high, based on the test norms of 104-152, 103-152 and 104-152, respectively. Social competence ( =55.18) was high based on the test norm of 55-80. Accessibility to social media (r=0.11) and use of social media (r=0.31) had significant positive relationships with social competence while awareness of social media did not. Significant relationships existed between awareness (r=0.71), accessibility (r=0.23) and use of social media, and awareness of (r=0.16) and use of social media. Awareness, accessibility, and use of social media had significant joint contribution to social competence (F(3;738) = 33.54; Adj. R2 = 0.52), accounting for 52.0% of its variance. Use of social media (β=0.08); accessibility (β=0.06) and awareness (β=0.03) relatively contributed to social competence. Inability to participate in social activity, problem-solving skills, low selfcontrol, and inability to handle and manage conflict situation were some of the challenges of social competence faced by the library and information science postgraduate students in universities. Awareness, accessibility and use of social media positively influenced social competence of library and information science postgraduate students in universities in Nigeria. Library schools should provide students with sufficient social competence skills for their professional development.