IMPACT OF DATA LITERACY SKILLS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS IN BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined the impact of digital literacy skills on the academic achievement of business education students in higher institutions in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. The population comprised all 500 Business Education students in higher institutions in Bayelsa State, with a sample of 349 students selected using a proportionate sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled “Digital Literacy Skills on the Academic Achievement of Business Education Students Questionnaire (DLSAABESQ),” which was validated by experts and subjected to reliability analysis, yielding Cronbach Alpha coefficients ranging from 0.716 to 0.737. Mean and standard deviation analyses were employed to answer the research questions, while independent t-tests were used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed that Academic Research literacy skills and Data Analysis literacy skills positively impact the academic achievement of Business Education students, and no significant differences were observed between male and female students in their responses. The study concluded that proficiency in digital literacy skills is critical for enhancing students’ comprehension, research quality, analytical reasoning, and overall academic performance. It was recommended that higher institutions integrate structured training in Academic Research and Data Analysis literacy within Business Education curricula to strengthen students’ academic outcomes.