CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF GHANA, FIAPRE

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

INVESTIGATION INTO THE USE OF INTERNET BY STUDENTS; A CASE

STUDY OF DON BOSCO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, ODUMASE

BY

DANIEL TINYOGTAA ADAMA

Project work submitted to the faculty of education, Catholic University College of

Ghana, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of Bachelor of

Education Degree in English.

JULY 2020.

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 DECLARATION

Candidate’s Declaration

I hereby declare that this project is the result of my own original research and that no part of it

has been presented for another degree in this university or elsewhere.

Signature: …………………………………………… Date: ……………………………….

Name: Daniel Tinyogtaa Adama

Supervisor’s Declaration

We hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of the project work were supervised in

accordance with the guideline on supervision of project laid down by the Faculty of Education,

Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre.

Principal Supervisor’s Signature: ………………………………. Date: ………………………

Name: Dr. Alfred Kuranchie

Co-supervisor’s Signature: ……………………………………. Date: ………………………

Name: Mr. Ernest Larbi

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 ABSTRACT

The internet is now a household tool used by most people in Ghana. Its tentacles have rapidly

spread to most of the agencies, schools, homes, hospitals, etc. making Ghana one of the fastest

developing countries in terms of internet usage. This study sought to find out three main things.

First, what students use the internet for. Second, the effects (positive and negative) the internet

had on students and finally, the challenges that confront students with the use of the internet.

Data was gathered from 93 students of Don Bosco Technical Institute in the Sunyani West

Municipality. These students were made up of males and females who were randomly selected

through a stratified random sampling from all the departments and levels in the school.

Questionnaire was the only instrument used in gathering data.

The study found out that most of the students have access to the internet with as much as 81% of

respondents. It was also found that 30% of students used the internet to communicate via the

various platforms the internet provides. The study also found that most of the students use the

internet to do their assignments and to learn new things. It also revealed that most of the students

visit social media site the most with the internet that any other websites. The study further

revealed that the internet had a positive effect on the studies of students even though most of the

students agreed that the internet was also a distraction to them. Additionally, the study found low

bandwidth and lack of network access as the major challenge students had with the use of the

internet.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the Almighty God for his guidance and

protection throughout my study.

I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to my boss Mr. Pier Carlo Craviolatti, the

President of Amici Dell’Oasis J.B., Torino- Italy, who gave me the opportunity to combine my

studies with my job.

I am deeply indebted to my supervisor Dr. Alfred Kuranchie, of the Faculty of Education of the

Catholic University College of Ghana for his immense assistance and guidance throughout the

writing of this project.

I would also like to thank my good friend Mr. Nestor Nasage for spending time to teach me how

to use the SPSS for this study.

I would specially want to thank my wife Sophia Owusu for her support throughout my study and

for accepting the inconveniences my studies brought along.

Last but not least, I express my appreciation to all those who have contributed directly or

indirectly to the success of this project.

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 DEDICATION

To my mother, Mrs. Salamatu Adama for always been there for me and everyone else

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 Table of Contents

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF GHANA, FIAPRE i

DECLARATION ii

ABSTRACT iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv

DEDICATION v

LIST OF TABLES ix

LIST OF FIGURES x

CHAPTER ONE 1

INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Background to the Study 1

1.2 Problem Statement 4

1.3 Objective of the Study 5

1.3.1 General Objective 5

1.3.2 Specific Objectives 5

1.4 Research Question/Hypotheses 6

1.5 Significance of The Study 6

1. 6 Delimitations 6

1.7 Limitation 7

1.8 Organization of The Study

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CHAPTER TWO 9

LITERATURE REVIEW 9

2.0 Introduction 9

2.1 Internet Use 10

2.2 Positive and Negative Effects of Internet Use 14

2.3 Challenges in Accessing the Internet 16

CHAPTER THREE 19

METHODOLOGY 19

3.0 Introduction 19

3.1 Study Area 19

3.2 Research Type and Design 20

3.3 Population 21

3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques 22

3.5 Instrumentation 22

3.6 Data Collection Method 23

3.7 Data Analysis 23

3.8 Ethical Consideration 23

CHAPTER FOUR 24

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 24

4.0 Introduction 24

CHAPTER FIVE 43

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 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 43

5.0 Introduction 43

5.1 Summary 43

5.2 Conclusion 44

5.3 Recommendations 44

REFERENCES 46

APPENDIX 58

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Gender of Respondents.................................................................................................25

Table 2: Age of Respondents.......................................................................................................25

Table 3: Residential Status of Respondents..................................................................................26

Table 4: Department of Respondents...........................................................................................26

Table 5: Level of Respondents.....................................................................................................27

Table 6: Respondents' Reasons for No Internet Access................................................................28

Table 7: How Often Respondents Use the Internet.......................................................................29

Table 8: Number of Hours Respondents Spend on the Internet A Day..........................................30

Table 9: Why Respondents Use the Internet................................................................................30

Table 10: Respondents Preferred Source of Information..............................................................31

Table 11: How Respondents Use of the Internet Affects Their Study............................................33

Table 12: Situation of Respondents' Class Who Use the Internet..................................................34

Table 13: Respondents' Responses to Negative Use of the Internet...............................................35

Table 14: Respondents Positive Effects of Internet on Students....................................................35

Table 15: Respondents Responses on Internet's Effects on Students.............................................36

Table 16: Respondents' Responses on the Benefits of the Internet on Students..............................37

Table 17: Respondents Responses on Their Parents Opinion Towards the Internet......................37

Table 18: Respondents Responses on the Influence of the Internet on their Future.......................40

Table 19: Respondents Challenges About the Use of Internet..........................................................41

Table 20: Respondents Responses on How to improve Access to the Internet................................42

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Pie Chart of Respondents access to internet...................................................................28

Figure 2 Pie Chart of Respondents use of the internet to do assignments......................................32

Figure 3: Histogram of Respondents use of the internet to learn new things.................................32

Figure 4: Bar chart of Respondents motivation for using the internet...........................................38

Figure 5: Pie chart of websites respondents have visited the most.................................................39

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The internet has turned our existence upside down (for good). It has revolutionized

communications, to the extent that it is now our preferred medium of communication. In almost

everything we do now, we use the internet. From booking a hotel room, trading, healthcare,

media to relationships, the internet now plays a crucial role. Before the internet, if you wanted to

keep up with the news, you had to walk to the newsstand when it opened in the morning and buy

a local edition of newspaper reporting what had happened the previous day. Those who could not

afford had to gather around the newsstand to peep at the headlines. But today a click or two is

enough to read the news as it happens and to even listen or watch it as and when you wish on a

mobile device or other media devices.

The rapid development of the Internet has been recognized as one of the most successful

investment that research has provided to the entire world. Its penetration into all spheres of

national development has been massive though there are still a lot of gaps in its development. It

is now evident that the Internet has become very influential in the way people live their lives. It

has helped people in different ways and it has also caused a great deal of damage to people in

different ways. Some have considered it to be a weapon that is more powerful than a nuclear

bomb ((Reinhardt & Travis, 2013).

Teenagers spend a large amount of time accessing data on the internet with the use of mobile

phones, tablets, computers, laptops and game consoles. The new technologies such as the smart

phones, tablets and computers/laptops require the Internet to perform most functions that are

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appealing to these young people. As a result, they seem to use the internet for various purposes

such as using Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, etc.

The internet is the key information and communication technology that led to a worldwide

revolutionary change in the information scenario (Pekar-Zlotin et al., 2015). The internet is a

reservoir of information and any nation that refuses to provide internet access to its young people

is un-seating the country from its dignity throne among other dignitaries (Olatokun, 2008). It is

developed to serve as a platform for diverse social activities for all age groups (Akin, 2014). The

internet is a technology which has become a big part of the daily lives of people. The Web was

introduced to academic institutions as a resource for improving the academic experience of

students in the mid-1990s by its ability to act as a support mechanism in various functions for

which people use it (Ngoumandjoka, 2014).

Internet connectivity has improved tremendously over the last decades and is available

everywhere, including homes, offices, travel and schools (Ellore et al.,2014). The use of reliable

internet resources is of greater importance for academic study, especially in high-class courses

requiring academic literature review (Sahin et al.,2010). Kim (2011) considers internet use for

educational purposes to be at the root of academic achievement among adolescents.

The availability of internet is almost everywhere, most students have had access to internet on

their cellphones (Ellore etal. 2014). This helps students to broaden their academic knowledge

and research by accessing information around the world, and also enhances easy communication

to the academic community (Siraj, et al., 2015). Yesilyurt et al. (2014) argued that access to a

home computer and internet connectivity would lead to the academic performance and self-

learning skills of the students. Considering secondary school students ' access to and use of the

internet in Nigeria, Olatokun (2008) indicated that most students thought the internet was far

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better and more convenient than their school libraries. They saw it as a source of general

knowledge, and it has also helped them develop their reading habits and academic performance.

The internet is sometimes used as an alternative learning medium and has contributed to an

increase in the academic performance of the students (Siraj et al., 2015).

In Ghana, students see the library as a favourable environment for studies, and a source of

relevant and realistic information for research. They prefer to use the internet to the library,

however, because the internet provides information at all times readily, faster access to

information, and much information (Kumah, 2015). For a developing country such as Ghana,

access to Internet services is of great importance (Ameyaw et al., n.d.). Updated and current

information is well organized on the internet for easy search, and has contributed

significantly to students’ academic laurels (Kumah, 2015). Internet usage raises awareness of

the world's importance around students (Ogedebe, 2012).

Despite the significance of internet usage to students’ academic performance, its negative

impacts are various. Some students use the internet for non-academic purposes such as

gaming and social networking, thus culminating in loss of study schedules (Singh et al.,2013).

Besides, students use the internet for leisure rather than educational purposes ((Olatokun,

2008); (Ngoumandjoka, 2012)) and this can lead to fallen academic standards. The topmost

uses of the internet by secondary students is chatting, downloading, watching videos online,

playing online games, and online shopping (Akin-Adramola, 2014). This suggests that some

secondary students do not receive proper guidance in the use of the internet in studying. The

internet can be a bad tool for higher academic achievement if only its usage is not

controlled (Mami & Hatami-Zad, 2014). Recent studies (e.g. Mami and Hatami-Zad, 2014;

Torres-Diaz et al.,2016; Carter, 2016) have found that a balance use of the internet leads

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to greater academic success among students. University students have control over the use

of internet which has greatly reflected in their academic performance (Sahin et al., 2010).

Same cannot be said of secondary school students in Ghana, and hence the need for this study.

This study analyses the internet use for students in secondary schools in Ghana, the impact

(positive and negative) it has on them and the challenges they face in accessing or using the

internet. It would help the students to know how the internet is affecting them academically and

socially. It would equally help teachers and parents to know how the internet affect the lives of

the students so they can adopt appropriate measures to help the students in their academic and

social lives.

1.2 Problem Statement

Within the Ghanaian society, the internet is fast becoming a platform for many activities and

students in different institutions are currently using the internet to perform various activities (e.g.

online chatting, inquiry and gaming, betting, etc.). Lecturers also use the internet to perform

other activities in the course of their work and for social interactions. While the internet is a

useful resource in this present age, there is an issue with how senior high school students use this

platform to change their lives.

The Ghana Education Service frowns on the use of mobile devices by senior high school

students while in school. However, many students somehow find access to the internet through

their own means. In such cases, they use these devices without the knowledge of the relevant

school authorities. It is therefore important to identify how internet is used by these secondary

school students.

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Since the rapid growth of the internet, students are among the population to have embraced it.

They spend a lot of time using the internet each day. As a result, another issue this study will be

focused on is how the use of the internet affects the lives of students positively and negatively in

their academic and social lives.

Internet penetration is still very low in Ghana even though there have been massive investments

to increase its penetration over the years. However, access to the internet is still a major issue for

most people especially students. This study will also investigate the challenges students have in

using the internet for both academic and social work.

This study is therefore on the use of internet by students, the effects it has on them and the

challenges they encounter in its usage as students in Don Bosco Technical Institute in the

Sunyani West Municipality.

1.3 Objective of the Study

1.3.1 General Objective

The overall aim of the research is to determine how students use the internet to help them in

different aspects of their lives.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

The research revolves around specific objectives set out below.

1. To identify what students use the internet for.

2. To examine the effects of internet use on the academic performance of students.

3. To identify the challenges students face in the use of the internet.

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1.4 Research Question/Hypotheses

This study will precisely will be guided by the following research questions:

1. What do students use the internet for?

2. What is the effect of internet use on the academic performance of the students?

3. What challenges do students face in the use of the internet?

1.5 Significance of The Study

The study's main significance would be to give teachers, parents, and students in any educational

institution (primary, secondary, and tertiary) an insight into how the Internet can help students in

their academic and social lives. This will also help students realize how much impact (positive /

negative) the internet has on them, and how they can use the internet to improve their lives. It

will also help policy makers (i.e., government, NGOs, donor agencies, etc.) to know the

challenges students face with the use of the internet so they can make appropriate policies to help

students.

It will also act as a reference point for future scholars involved in deep research into the use of

the internet and its impact on academia and social life. The study will further contribute to the

body of knowledge in advancing our understanding of the role played by the internet in

secondary school students ' lives.

1. 6 Delimitations

The study intends to investigate the uses of internet for students, the effects of the internet on

students and the challenges the students face in using the internet and it will only be focused on

that. The sample size of the analysis is small and restricted only to Don Bosco Technical

Institute in the Sunyani West Municipality of Ghana.

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1.7 Limitation

In the course of this study, the researcher came up with some limitations. Key among them are

time constraints, financial challenges and the outbreak of the Corona Virus (COVID-19)

pandemic. The pandemic forced the closure of schools which made it difficult to gather data

from the main respondents who were students. The sample size was thus reduced to make it

possible for the researcher to proceed with the research. Some students did not find any need to

cooperate with the researcher. Also, due to sampling and computational errors that may occur,

the results may not be 100 per cent accurate.

1.8 Organization of The Study

This research paper will be divided into 5 main chapters (Chapter One - Chapter Five).

Chapter One will introduce the reader to the research topic which will also give a general outline

of the study, the objective, the significance of the study and the scope and limitations of the

study.

Chapter Two will go on to provide existing literature review that is related to the topic which

will also be discussed. The chapter will also provide a theoretical framework that would cover

areas such as; internet use, time spent on the internet, impact of the internet and challenges in

accessing the internet.

Chapter Three will specifically deal with the methodology of the research which can be used by

the reader to see the procedures that were involved during the research process as well as the

research process and the instrumentation used for the research.

Chapter Four will analyze and summarize the findings of the collected data as well as the

statistical mechanics used in this research.

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Chapter Five will be used to summarize the research; the major findings, limitations of the

research, conclusion and finally the recommendations.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

According to Selwyn & Facer (2014), the Internet has been rapidly growing and transforming

since the mid-1990s. And as the years go by, there has been an increase in both adults and

children's chances of improving their social life, educational knowledge and other aspects of

their lives through the internet. The Internet penetrates exponentially into the lives of the

society's young people (Hayta, 2013). Individuals such as adolescents use the internet for

educational and socializing purposes.

Information Communication Technology (I.C.T.) skills have become a critical asset for the

performance and achievement of an individual in school and their place of employment. In

addition, it is said that young people who are deprived or lack these ICT skills and access

experience a setback when trying to make the most of their educational or career opportunities

(Khan et al., 2014).

(Akin, 2014) states that teens and young people interact and connect actively through social

networks on different technological channels, such as phablets, game consoles, cell phones and

computers (Twitter, Facebook, hi5). He further asserts that all devices and applications used for

such communication require the internet to work. In addition, some of the social networks have

applications with instant messengers in-built that can allow the communicating parties to

interact with each other instantly, e.g. Facbook.

Instant messengers (WhatsApp, BBM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Messenger) were created on

mobile platforms such as Android, iOS and RIM due to the advances in mobile devices and

9
technological gadgets (Anku, 2017). Many instant messengers can actually be used, e.g. by

holding a face-to-face chat or a voice message. Apple's FaceTime, Viber, Skype.

Nevertheless, there are criticisms and arguments regarding how students use the internet

(Goretsky, 2016). Some have based their point about student addiction when using the internet

while others have criticized student dependency when accessing the internet (Weinstein &

Lejoyeux, 2010).

2.1 Internet Use

The use of internet grants its users great awareness of the importance of the world around them.

The internet is a platform for several types of information. It is used by students including

secondary students (Yebowaah, 2018).

The use of the Internet will continue to grow until its users are refused easy access (Leiner et al.,

2009). Recent statistics indicate that the internet gives people the option to access information

sites as well as other sites such as social media sites, internet games, and cyber-sex (Siraj

et al., 2015).

A study by Hanley & Becker (2008) on the influence of internet usage on academic performance

and face-to-face communication revealed that most students had internet access on their cell

phones due to the availability of the internet. This helps students broaden their knowledge of

academia (Siraj et al., 2015). The use of computers and access to online services are

comparatively important for students according to Yebowaah, (2018). Yesilyurt et al. (2014)

showed that access to a home computer and internet connectivity leads to academic performance

and self-learning skills of the students.

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Given secondary school students ' access to and use of the internet in Nigeria, Samuel (2010)

suggested that most students thought the internet was far better and more convenient than their

school libraries. The study pointed out that students see the internet as a source of general

knowledge, and that it really helps them improve their reading habits leading to an improvement

in their academic performance. Siraj et al. (2015) affirmed that students perceive the internet as a

supplement to learning and thus contribute to higher academic achievement. Ogedebe (2012)

accepted that most students receive relevant information, such as academic material, from the

internet. That suggests students are using the internet to improve their study. Sahin et al. (2010)

analyzed university students ' use of internet resources during their review of the course projects.

They argued that using trustworthy internet resources is vitally important for academic study,

particularly in higher-class courses requiring review of academic literature. Chen & Peng (2008)

consider Internet use as the habit of academic achievement among adolescents, for educational

purposes.

A similar study by Aderanti Ruth & Adedotun (2015) suggested that the academic performance

of secondary school students may be affected by the source and access to information. In

Nigeria, Olatokun (2008) maintains that, given the importance attached to the use of the Internet

and academic achievement, that secondary school students use the Internet for leisure rather than

educational purposes. He said the students used the internet primarily for correspondence,

entertainment, and recreation (reading and sending e-mails, chatting online, playing games,

uploading music videos, and reading newspapers). Similarly, Sahin et al. (2010) noted that while

students at universities use email and forum / chat-line frequently in their daily lives, they do not

use them in their studies. Ngoumandjoka (2014) found that the internet is mostly not used for

academic purposes, but rather for recreation. A related research by Hammer et al. (2010)

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suggests students are more interested in using the internet, but still use it mostly for non-

academic purposes such as mailing, gaming and social networking. It caused delays in their

schedules for the report.

This brings the controversy between empirical studies about the effect of Internet use on the

academic performance of the students to the forefront. Kwaah (2019) has scaled up the activities

done by high school students on the internet. The study revealed that high school students ' top

activity is chatting, followed by downloading, watching online videos, surfing the web, using the

web to study for school work, searching for other websites such as sports websites, reading

online news, games websites, and finally shopping online. Statistically 40% of students spend

most of their time chatting on social media daily while 14.4% of students use the internet

for academic purpose daily (Yebowaah, 2018). This is consistent with findings from Bragdon &

Dowler (2016) that there is a particular interest given that college administrators, teachers,

parents, college students and others support the value of using higher education technology, but

the reality is that this technology is often used for non-academic purposes.

Student demographic variables are assumed to affect internet usage and hence academic

performance. Demographic analysis revealed that males used the internet more often than

females in general (Akande & Bamise, 2017). The study also indicated that male college

students are spending more time on the internet than female university students (Thanuskodi,

2013). Rabiu et al. (2016) identified the mobile phone as one of the gadgets used in internet

access that affects academic performance. They found that cellphone use significantly influences

academic performance among high school males and females.

A case study on Ghana's Labone Secondary Schools shows that girls use the internet once a

week, while boys use the internet on average once a day, or several times a day (Akin, 2014).

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Conversely, Mami & Hatami-Zad (2014) found no significant difference in internet addiction

between boys and girls. Women computer literates in Aitokhuehi & Ojogho (2014) tend to

perform better than male computer literate students. Kim (2011) examines the effect of internet

use on South Korean adolescents ' academic achievement and behavioral adjustment and found

girls more likely to use the internet to watch online educational classes and blog more frequently

and longer than boys do. The study reported that boys mostly use the internet for playing games.

A correlation analysis on students ' socio-economic background, internet access, and

performance found no significant relation between student socio-economic background and

internet access (Marks, 2006). The study found students from a low economic background

surfing the net through their friends ' phone, their friends paying for them in cybercafés and

sometimes they could afford to pay for themselves at the cybercafé. According to Osunade

(2003), students are capable of paying for internet access.

A study by Adegoke and Osokoya (2015) revealed that socio-economic background contributes

significantly to the achievement of students while internet usage has no significant contribution

to the achievement of the students. Rather, when the two socio-economic background and

internet use were combined, they had a significant contribution to students’ achievement.

Kim (2011) added that parent-child relationships (closeness and conflict) were found to be vital

to youth adjustment and play an important role in the association between adolescent internet

usage and academic and behavioral outcomes. Additionally, controlled Internet use can have a

positive effect on students ' academic performance. Research has shown that internet usage has a

positive impact, depending on the type and how it is used (Torres-Diaz & Duart, 2015).

In exploring the influence of internet use on academic performance, Ellore et al. (2014) found

that most students at universities have control over internet use. As the Internet has become an

13
integral part of today's life, (Singh & Brown, 2014) have found that it should be used as a

resource for connectivity and information learning rather than addiction-forming behaviors.

Therefore, colleges and universities are encouraged to educate students about the possible

negative impacts on academic success of high recreational Internet usage rates (Bragdon &

Dowler, 2016).

2.2 Positive and Negative Effects of Internet Use

The effects of the internet on student learning have been impressive by far. The internet gives

students the opportunity to access information from different libraries across the world by just a

click of button. As an advanced tool for human use, its effects (positive and negative) on

students’ academic performance and social live and cannot be underestimated.

A study conducted by Ngoumandjoka (2014) categorized internet users into heavy and light

users. Academic work, he believes, is the main reason why students use the internet on campus.

Students identified as heavy users have been those found to use the internet for recreational

purposes more than light internet users have. His study further argued that the more the internet

is used for academic work, the more it is perceived as having a positive influence on academic

grades.

Similarly, Austin and Totaro (2011) obtained results in their study, which classified internet

users into light, moderate and intense users respectively. They found that the students who use

the internet at school and at home (moderate users) produce higher grades than those who do not

use the internet. Students who only use the internet at school (light users) also obtained lower

grades than those who did not use the internet.

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Torres-Diaz & Duart (2015) agreed equally that the use of the internet has a positive effect on

academic output. They said that those students who are more likely to use the internet on

educational materials are less likely to fail their examinations. The discomfort of lack of internet

access thus outweighs the benefits it brings to the table. People who engage with peers and

teachers in social activities or who use internet resources in a balanced way for their work in the

course tend to perform better academically (Torres-Diaz & Duart, 2015).

In a study by Aitokhuehi & Ojogho (2014), the effect of computer literacy on the success of

secondary school students in Nigeria has been discussed. They noticed that students who were

computer literate performed better than students who were non-computer literate.

Nonetheless, the internet's addictive-like characteristics make any one who uses it excessively a

potential victim of its negative impacts. Some of its adverse impacts include disrupted sleeping

habits, social breakdowns, job losses, mental and physical health and poor academic

performance (Ngoumandjoka, 2014). Singh & Brown (2014) in their study reported

psychological problems ranging from mood swings to altered behaviour, withdrawn attitude and

loneliness as the main effect of using the internet primarily for social networking and mailing.

This is because they live within a virtual net environment of some sort. In their analysis, Türel &

Toraman (2015) found that their average internet addiction declines as the students academic

performance considered positive increases. It means that addiction to the internet has an impact

on student academic performance. Aitokhuehi and Ojogho (2014) also noted that computer

literacy students who are not addicted to the use of computer equipment perform better than

those addicted to use them.

Kakkar et al. (2015) reported a significant effect of internet addiction on learning and mental

health of the students. Categorically, he revealed that students in the serious and deep internet

15
addiction community were found to have a detrimental effect on their academic performance and

metal wellbeing rather than the students who use the internet in moderation.

Despite major concerns about excessive use of the Internet, Siraj et al. (2015) concluded that

high use of the Internet brings better academic results as students are given the opportunity to

enter the information world. Addiction to the internet is reported to be a good protector for social

skills and academic achievement of students (Mami & Hatami-Zad, 2014). A relationship

between internet addiction and academic performance has shown that the average level of

internet addiction amongst male students, vocational school students and verbal field students is

higher than that of more academically successful students (Türel & Toraman, 2015). This

supports the idea that controlling internet use can have a positive effect on the academic

performance of students ((Torres-Diaz et al., 2016); (Ellore et al., 2014); (Kakkar, 2014)). In

addition, students need to be taught how to use computer facilities to find valid information

related to their academic work (Mami and Hatami-Zad, 2014; Aitokhuehi et al., 2014).

Consequently, government and stakeholders need to make computer sets with internet facilities

available to all secondary schools for students and teachers to use in the teaching and learning

process to improve academic performance (Aitokhuehi & Ojogho, 2014).

2.3 Challenges in Accessing the Internet

Internet access in Sub-Saharan Africa is bedeviled with lots of challenges and Ghana is no

exception. Although evidence has shown that students are interested in Internet resources, they

have challenges (Sahin et al., 2010).

Olatokun (2008) observed that the biggest obstacles to the full use of the internet are insufficient

connectivity, inherent risks and problems such as pornography, scams among others.

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A study by Unicef titled “Risks and Opportunities Related to Children’s Online Practice” and

published in 2017 found that young people in particular often have no opportunity to use the

Internet. It further found that high cost of data and poor network access were some of the

challenges young people faced in their bid to use the internet.

Samuel (2010) found internet access to be poor among senior high school students. Aside access,

it is disheartening to note that despite the number of years spent in secondary school, some

students cannot even operate a computer (Samuel, 2010).

A study conducted by Quadri (2016) on the “Challenges and Prospects of Using Internet

Facilities” in Rivers state, Nigeria found the challenges of using the internet to be slow speed of

server 49%, distance to the library 21%, power failure 72%, and attitude of library staff 11.5%,

other challenges identified are system breakdown 59%, poor knowledge of usability 20%,

insufficient workstations 50.5% and time constrains 27.5%.

A similar study conducted to find out the challenges that are limiting effective and efficient use

of the Internet in the Sunyani Municipality suggested six (6) challenges which can possibly

affect the smooth use of the Internet by students in the Municipality. The results show that the

number one constraint to the use of Internet services by students was poor Internet speed. This

situation has the potency to discourage students from such Internet facilities. The respondents

also identified inadequate number of computers, poor personal user skills, and non-functional or

faulty computers as other critical challenges that hinder the use of Internet in the Municipality

(Brafi & Arthur, 2013).

Sife (2013) found that despite the increase and widespread adoption of Internet services, there

are challenges that are significantly preventing the effective access and usage of Internet services

17
in schools. These challenges might be caused by lack of support from the government, education

leaders, and teachers or even the students themselves. Among the challenges facing students

could be lack or inadequate ICTs infrastructure in secondary schools, lack of awareness among

the students, limited power supply, low bandwidth as well as lack or inadequate budget for

adoption of technologies in secondary schools.

According to (Tarimo & Kavishe, 2017), poor infrastructure is distinguished by, for instance, the

regular power cut that brings about the problems in using Internet services in some countries in

Africa. They continued by saying that most of these countries especially in rural areas do not

have power supply which as a results makes it difficult for secondary schools in those areas have

a sustainable atmosphere appropriate for Internet services provision. In corroboration with

Tarimo & Kavishe (2017), Sedoyeka & Gafufen (2013) indicated in their study that many rural

areas in countries that are developing often do lack electricity and have got only basic

infrastructure. They continued by stating that this condition affects computer operations hence

complicates the access and use of Internet services as well as.

According to Zano et al. (2008) the major problem that is affecting the development and spread

of Internet utilization in Africa is the lack of enough funds. High cost of ICTs facilities has been

reported as one of the challenges that influence the access and use of Internet. Due to this,

schools are not well funded to acquire ICT infrastructure for use. This has led to poorly equipped

ICT labs in secondary schools as well as the use of internet resources in teaching and learning.

18
 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction

The preceding chapter elaborated on this paper-related literature but this third chapter presents

the methodology applied in this study. The source(s) of the data and how it was collected will all

be elaborated here. It also outlined the target population, sample frame, sample and sampling

design before outlining the data collection methods, data collection process, and finally ends

with the data presentation and analysis techniques used throughout the entire study.

3.1 Study Area

The Sunyani West Municipal Assembly (SWMA), which was carved out of Sunyani East

District now Sunyani Municipal, is one of the 11 Districts in the Bono Region of the Republic

of Ghana. It was established in November 2007 through the Legislative Instrument (LI) 1881

and inaugurated on 29th February 2008 with Odomase as the administrative capital.

Geographically, the Municipality lies between latitudes 7º 19´N and 7º 35´N and longitudes 2º

08´ W and 2º 31´ W and shares boundaries with Wenchi Municipal to the North, Offinso North

to the East, Sunyani Municipal to the South, Berekum Municipal to the West, Dormaa

Municipal, Dormaa East to the South-West and Tain District to the North-West. With a total

land area of 1,059.33 square kilometres, the Municipality occupies 4.2 percent of the total land

area of the region.

19
According to the Ghana Statistical Service District Analytical Report (2014), the Sunyani West

Municipality has a total population of 85,272. There are more females (43,884) than males (41,

388) in the District. The sex ratio is 94.3 (i.e., about 94 males to 100 females), which means that

females are about six percent more than males.

In terms of social services to the people, the Municipality has educational institutions for all the

levels, namely 65 kindergartens, 68 primary schools, 43 basic schools, 2 technical/vocational

schools, 5 senior high schools and 2 universities; Catholic University College of Ghana and

University of Energy and Natural Resources. (District Analytical Report-Ghana Statistical

Service, 2014).

Don Bosco Technical Institute (D.B.T.I) is one of the two technical/vocational schools in the

municipality. The school was established by the Salesians of Don Bosco in the mid 1990s at its

present location in Odomase, the administrative capital of the Municipality. It became a

government assisted school in 2010 and currently has over 800 students from different parts of

the country who receive technical education in various technical programmes.

3.2 Research Type and Design

This study is a descriptive survey research type. The research focus was on students. The aim of

the descriptive survey was to report and provide a deeper analysis that allowed for a richer and

an in-depth understanding of the impact of the internet on the lives of the students.

The study also adopted the mixed method and had access to qualitative and quantitative data for

the research work.

20
The reason for using a mixed method approach for this study is its unique ability to combine the

two methods to provide better knowledge of the research question than using either approach

alone.

The researcher observed, described, and documented the uses and effects as well as the

challenges of the internet on the students.

In addition to observation of Internet facilities available to students in the school, the researcher

interviewed librarians, managers of computer laboratory, and teachers to know the role the

internet played in the academic and social lives of the students.

For this study, the research design was a questionnaire-based descriptive survey.

3.3 Population

Eisenhardt (1989) posits that the concept of population is fundamental to case study research. A

population is any set of individuals or objects with one common characteristic, as well as the

group of interest in the study and the group to which the researcher would like to generalize the

study results (Yi et al., 2014).

The target population for this research is defined to include secondary school students within

the Sunyani West Municipality, while the accessible population is the students of Don Bosco

Technical Institute, since these are the students within the researcher’s reach.

In this study, the accessible population comprised students in all the various levels in the

institute, i.e. year one, year two and year three as at February, 2020 when this study began.

21
3.4 Sample and Sampling Techniques

In statistics, some scholars like Creswell & Clark (2017) explain the sampling plan as a term

used in research studies which outlines how research is conducted. They explained further

that, it tells what category to be surveyed, what sample size should be, and how to choose

the respondents from the population.

A sample of about one hundred and ten (120) people from the target population was

selected, based on their designation and level of experience. The sampling was done using

stratified random sampling method which divided the population into groups. That is, the

population was divided into year one, year two and year three with each group having

about forty (40) respondents.

3.5 Instrumentation

The researcher designed a questionnaire as one of the data collection instrument for this

study.

The content of the questionnaire was based on the findings of the interview conducted earlier

with students from others schools who were home due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as

on the information from the literature reviewed.

The questionnaire has five sections: A, B, C, D and E:

• Section “A”, is on personal data of the respondents;

• Section “B”, is on what the respondents use the internet to do.

• Section “C” contains questions on how the internet affects their lives.

22
• Section “D”, on the other hand is on the challenges respondents face in accessing the

internet.

• Section “E”, finally is on the possible solutions to addressing the challenges they encounter

in their access to the internet.

The instrument was structured in a closed-ended form where respondents were expected to

select a response that fit their situation from the optional responses given.

3.6 Data Collection Method

Questionnaires were administered directly to the chosen sample for the study. One hundred

and twenty (120) copies of the questionnaire given out but ninety-three were

successfully completed and returned. The interviewer was not present to inject bias in the

way questions were answered thereby making the data collected clear of any bias.

3.7 Data Analysis

Data analysis on respondents’ data will be carried out in two ways: descriptive data analysis and

inferential data analysis. The frequency tables, correlation and regression tables will be built

from such descriptive statistics to help interpret and explain the data collected. The study will use

Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) as a tool for data management and statistical

analysis with a highly versatile capacity for data processing.

3.8 Ethical Consideration

This research will be guided by all the ethical considerations established by Catholic

University College of Ghana regarding primary data collection, participant involvement,

analysis, and secondary data collection.

23
 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.0 Introduction

The main purpose of this chapter is to summarize and analyze the data collected from

respondents of this study.

From the first chapter, the research questions guiding the study were;

1. What do students use the internet for?

2. What is the effect of internet use on the academic performance of the students?

3. What challenges do students face in the use of the internet?

The analysis of the responses from the respondents therefore, are based on the above stated

research questions.

A total number of 120 copies of questionnaires were distributed and monitored for proper

completion and submission. However, the researcher could retrieve a total of 93 completed

copies of the questionnaires. The following analysis is therefore based on these completed and

returned copies (93).

24
Demographics of Respondents

Table 1: Gender of Respondents

Frequency Percent

MALE 44 47

FEMALE 49 53

Total 93 100

From table 1, the total number of respondents for this study was 93. 44 out of the total
respondents were males equivalent to 47%. The remaining 49 respondents were females
equivalent 53% response rate.

This therefore indicates that, majority of the respondents were females.

Table 2: Age of Respondents

Frequency Percent
LESS THAN 15 YEARS 25 27
15-18 YEARS 51 55
MORE THAN 18 YEARS 17 18
Total 93 100.0

From table 2, 25 of the respondents equivalent to 27% of total respondents were less than 15
years. 51 respondents equivalent to 55% of total respondents were between the ages of 15 and
18. 17 respondents equivalent to 18% of total respondents were more than 18 years.

This therefore means that the dominant age of respondents was between 15 and 18 years.

25
Table 3: Residential Status of Respondents

Frequency Percent
RESIDENT 51 55
NON-RESIDENT 42 45
Total 93 100.0

From the table 3, 51 respondents representing 55% of total respondents were resident in one of
the hostels of the school while 42 respondents representing 45% of the total respondents were
non-resident in any of the hostels of the school. This implies that majority of the respondents
were resident in the school or any of its hostels.

Table 4: Department of Respondents

Frequency Percent
B-TECH 5 5
SECRETARIAL 18 19
ELECTRICAL 21 23
WIELDING 10 11
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY 7 8

CATERING 16 17
COMMERCIAL 5 5
AGRIC 8 9
CARPENTRY 3 3
Total 93 100.0

From table 4, 5 respondents representing 5% of total respondents are from the building
technology department, 18 respondents representing 19% of total respondents belong to
Secretariat department, 21 respondents from the electrical department representing 23% of total
respondents while 10 respondents from the welding department representing 11% of total

26
respondents participated in the study. Also, 7 respondents from the computer technology
department representing 8% of total respondents were part of the study, with 16 respondents
representing 17% of total respondents from the catering department, 5 respondents representing
5% of total respondents from the commercial arts department, 8 respondents from the Agric
department representing 9% of total respondents and 3 respondents from the carpentry
department representing 3% of total respondents were involved in the study. Therefore, the
department with the greatest number of respondents in this study is the electrical department with
23% of total respondents.

Table 5: Level of Respondents

Frequency Percent

YEAR ONE 29 31
YEAR TWO 40 43

YEAR THREE 24 26

Total 93 100.0

From the table 5, 29 respondents equivalent to 31% of total respondents were in year one with 40
respondents equivalent to 43% of total respondents in year two and 24 respondents equivalent to
26% of total respondents in year three. This means that majority of the respondents were from
year two.

The objectives of the study were dependent on the respondents’ access to the internet. Therefore,
the researcher wanted to find out from the respondents if they had access to the internet.

27
 RESPONDENTS ACCESS TO THE
INTERNET
NO
19%

YES
81%

Figure 1 Pie Chart of Respondents access to internet

From figure 1, the total number of respondents who had access to the internet was 75 which is
equivalent to 81% of total respondents while 19 respondents equivalent to 19% did not have
access to the internet. Majority of respondents thus had access to internet thereby making it
possible for the study to continue since the objectives depended on access to internet.

However, there were some respondents who did not have access to the internet and they gave
their reason for not having access to the internet. The researcher grouped the answers that were
similar together for easy analysis.

Table 6: Respondents' Reasons for No Internet Access

Frequency Percent
No education on usage 1 6

No phone or computer 13 72

No network access 4 22

Total 18 100.0

28
From table 6, a total of 18 respondents did not have access to the internet. 1 respondent out of the
total of 18 respondents equivalent to 6% did not have any education on the usage of the internet.
13 respondents out of the total number of respondents’ equivalent to 72% of respondents did not
have mobile phones or computers to access the internet. 4 respondents out of the total number of
respondents equivalent to 22% of total respondents did not have network access in their
communities thereby making impossible for them to access the internet. All the respondents who
did not have access to the internet were in year one made up of 5 males and 13 females.

Research question one:

What do students use the internet for?

Question: How often do you use the internet?

Table 7: How Often Respondents Use the Internet

Frequency Percent
EVERYDAY 35 38
MORE THAN ONCE A DAY 29 31
ONCE A WEEK 16 17
ONCE A MONTH 4 4
DON'T KNOW 9 10
Total 93 100.0
From table 7, 35 respondents equivalent to 38% of total respondents use the internet every day.
29 respondents equivalent to 31% of total respondents use the internet more than once a day. 16
respondents equivalent to 17% of total respondents use the internet once a week. 4 respondents
equivalent to 4% of total respondents use the internet once and month. 9 respondents equivalent
to 10% of total respondents did not know their frequency of internet use.

29
Question: On average, how many hours per day do you spend on the internet?

Table 8: Number of Hours Respondents Spend on the Internet A Day

Frequency Percent

LESS THAN ONE HOUR A DAY 15 16

1-2 HOURS A DAY 22 24

2-3 HOURS A DAY 19 20

3-4 HOURS A DAY 5 5

MORE THAN 4 HOURS A DAY 32 35

Total 93 100.0

From table 8, 15 respondents equivalent to 16% of total respondents use the internet less that one
hour a day. 22 respondents equivalent to 24% of total respondents use the internet between one
(1) to two (2) hours a day. 19 respondents equivalent to 20% of total respondents use the internet
between two (2) and three (3) hours a day. 5 respondents equivalent to 5% of total respondents
use the internet between three (3) to four (4) hours a day. 32 respondents equivalent to 35% of
total respondents use the internet more than four (4) hours a day.

Question: Why do you use the internet?

Table 9: Why Respondents Use the Internet

Frequency Percent

ENTERTAINMENT 25 27

NEWS 16 17

RESEARCH 21 23

COMMUNICATE 28 30

BUSINESS 3 3.2

Total 93 100.0

30
From table 9, 25 respondents equivalent to 27% of total respondents use the internet for
entertainment. 16 respondents equivalent to 17% of total respondents use the internet for news.
21 respondents equivalent to 23% of total respondents use the internet for research. 28
respondents equivalent to 30% of total respondents use the internet for communication. 3
respondents equivalent to 3% of total respondents use the internet for business. Therefore,
majority of the respondents use the internet to communicate.

Question: Which will you prefer as your source of information?

Table 10: Respondents Preferred Source of Information

Frequency Percent

USE INTERNET MORE THAN LIBRARY 45 48

USE INTERNET AND LIBRARY ABOUT 23 25

THE SAME

USE INTERNET LESS THAN LIBRARY 15 16

DON'T KNOW 10 11

Total 93 100.0

From table 10, 45 respondents equivalent to 48% of total respondents use the internet more than
the library as their preferred source of information. 23 respondents equivalent to 25% of total
respondents use the internet and the library about the same as their preferred source of
information. 15 respondents equivalent to 16% of total respondents use the library more than the
internet as their preferred source of information. 10 respondents equivalent to 11% of total
respondents did not know which was their preferred source of information. Therefore, majority
of the students use the internet as their preferred source of information more than the library.

31
 Figure 2 Pie Chart of Respondents use of the internet to do assignments

From Figure 2, 69 respondents equivalent to 74% of total respondents use the internet to do their
assignments while 24 respondents equivalent to 26% of total respondents do not use the internet
to do their assignment. Hence, from the responses given, most of the respondents use the internet
to do their assignment.

Question: Do you use the internet to learn new things?

Figure 3: Histogram of Respondents use of the internet to learn new things

32
From the figure 3, 72 respondents equivalent to 77% of total respondents use the internet to do
assignments while 21 respondents equivalent to 23% of respondents do not use the internet to do
their assignment. There majority of the respondents use the internet to do their assignment.

Objective two:

What is the effect of internet use on the academic performance of the students?

Question: How do you think the internet affects your study?

Table 11: How Respondents Use of the Internet Affects Their Study

Frequency Percent

VERY MUCH AND NEGATIVELY 31 33

NOT AT ALL 25 27

IT HAS POSITIVE EFFECTS ON MY STUDY 31 33

DON'T KNOW 6 7

Total 93 100.0

From table 11, 31 respondents equivalent to 33% of total respondents said the internet affected
them very much and negatively, with 25 respondents equivalent to 27% of total respondent
saying the internet does not affect them in anyway, while 31 respondents equivalent to 33% of
total respondents say the internet affects their studies positively. However, 6 respondents
representing 7% of the total respondents did not know whether the internet had an impact on
their studies or not. Thus, 33% of respondents believed the internet had a positive effect on their
studies while 33% of total respondents believed the internet had a negative effect on their
studies.

33
Question: What is the situation of students in your class that use the internet?
Table 12: Situation of Respondents' Class Who Use the Internet

Frequency Percent

MOST STUDENTS USE THE INTERNET 63 68

FREQUENTLY

ONLY A FEW PEOPLE USE THE 23 25

INTERNET

NOBODY USES THE INTERNET 5 5

FREQUENTLY

NOBODY USES THE INTERNET AT ALL 2 2

Total 93 100.0

From table 12, 63 of respondents equivalent to 68% of total respondents say most students in
their class use the internet frequently, with 23 respondents equivalent to 25% of total respondents
saying only a few people use the internet in their class. Also, 5 respondents equivalent to 5% of
total respondents said nobody in their class use the internet frequently and 2 respondents
representing 2% of total respondents saying nobody uses the internet at all. Thus, from the data
gathered, majority of the students in respondents’ class use the internet frequently.

Question: Which of the following will you say is negative about internet use to students?

34
Table 13: Respondents' Responses to Negative Use of the Internet

Frequency Percent

IT DISTRACTS STUDENTS 44 47

IT INCREASES PLAGIARISM 25 27

IT CAUSES STUDENTS TO BECOME 8 9

VIOLENT

IT MAKES STUDENTS PRACTICE 16 17

INTERNET FRAUD

Total 93 100.0

From table 13, 44 respondents equivalent to 47% of total respondents believed that the internet
distracts students, with 25 respondents equivalent to 27% of total respondents saying that it
increases plagiarism. 8 respondents equivalent to 9% of total respondents also believe that the
internet causes students to become violent while 16 respondents equivalent to 17% of total
respondents believe the internet makes students to practice internet fraud. From the data
therefore, most of the respondents believed the internet distracts students.

Question: Which positive influence do you think is the most important to students?
Table 14: Respondents Positive Effects of Internet on Students

Frequency Percent

IT PROVIDES INFOMATION TO STUDENTS 61 66

TO LEARN

IT EXPRESS STUDENTS' FEELINGS 13 14

IT HELPS IN CHATTING AND HAVING 10 11

FRIENDS

IT HELPS IN EXPANDING STUDENTS 9 10

KNOWLEDGE

Total 93 100.0

35
From table 14 above, 61 respondents representing 66% of total respondents believe the internet
provides information for students to learn, with 13 respondents representing 14% of total
respondents saying it express students’ feeling. 10 respondents representing 11% believed it
helps students in chatting and having friends while 9 respondents representing 10% of total
respondents say the internet helps in expanding students’ knowledge. Thus, majority of
respondent believe the internet provides information for students to learn.

Question: What do you think about the internet’s effects on students?

Table 15: Respondents Responses on Internet's Effects on Students

Frequency Percent

MORE POSITIVE 40 43
MORE NEGATIVE 34 37
50% POSITIVE 50% 19 20
NEGATIVE
Total 93 100.0
From the table 15, 40 respondents equivalent to 43% of total respondents say the internet has
more positive effects on students. 34 respondents equivalent to 37% of total respondents say the
internet has more negative effects on students. 19 respondents equivalent to 20% of the total
respondents say the internet has 50% positives and 50% negative effects on students.

36
Question: What benefits do you think the internet has on students?
Table 16: Respondents' Responses on the Benefits of the Internet on Students

Frequency Percent

EXPRESS FEELINGS 8 9

LEARN NEW INFORMATION 39 42

SOCIAL NETWORKING 27 29

BROADENS STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE 19 20

Total 93 100.0

From table 16, 8 respondents equivalent to 9% of total respondents say the internet helps
students to express their feelings, with 39 respondents equivalent to 42% of total respondents
saying the internet helps students to learn new information. 27 respondents equivalent to 29% of
total respondents say the internet helps student in social networking while 19 respondents
equivalent to 20 % of total respondents saying the internet helps to broaden the students’
knowledge. Therefore, majority of the respondents say the internet helps students to learn new
information. The bar graph below shows this results in a more graphical format.

Question: What is your parent’s opinion towards the internet?

Table 17: Respondents Responses on Their Parents Opinion Towards the Internet

Frequency Percent

GOOD TOOL FOR LEARNING 36 39

A WASTE OF TIME FOR STUDENTS 21 22

IT'S USED FOR FRAUD 14 15

SPEND TOO MUCH TIME AND 22 24

MONEY ON IT

Total 93 100.0

37
From table 17, 36 respondents equivalent to 39% of total respondents say their parents think the
internet is a good tool for learning. 21 respondents equivalent to 22% of total respondents say
their parents think the internet is a waste of time for students. 14 respondents equivalent to 15%
of total respondents say their parents think the internet is used for fraud. 22 respondents
equivalent to 24% of total respondents say their parents think students waste too much time and
money on the internet. Hence, majority of respondents’ parents think the internet is a good tool
for learning. The bar graph below shows this results in a more graphical format.

Question: What is the motivation for you to use the internet?

Figure 4: Bar chart of Respondents motivation for using the internet

From figure 4, 12 respondents equivalent to 13% of total respondents say their motivation for
using the internet is out of curiosity. 40 respondents equivalent to 43% of total respondents say
influence by classmates is their motivation for using the internet. 27 respondents equivalent to
29% of total respondents say the demand of study is their motivation for using the internet. 14
respondents equivalent to 15% of total respondents say their motivation for using the internet is
just for fun. Therefore, majority of the respondents’ motivation for using the internet is as a
result of the influence of their classmates.

38
Question: What kind of website have you visited the most?

Figure 5: Pie chart of websites respondents have visited the most

From figure 5, 15 respondents equivalent to 16% of total respondents responded that they visited
news websites the most. 11 respondents equivalent to 12% of total respondents responded that
they visited game websites. 15 respondents equivalent to 16% of total respondents responded
that they visited music websites the most. 13 respondents equivalent to 14% of total respondents
responded that they visited video websites the most. 39 respondents equivalent to 42% of total
respondents responded that they visited social websites the most. Therefore, from the data
gathered, respondents visited social websites the most. The bar graph below shows this results in
a more graphical format.

39
Question: How do you think the internet would influence your future?

Table 18: Respondents Responses on the Influence of the Internet on their Future

Frequency Percent

VERY INFLUENTIAL 34 37

INFLUENTIAL 28 30

KIND OF INFLUENTIAL 23 25

NO INFLUENCE 8 9

Total 93 100.0

From table 18, 34 respondents equivalent to 37% of total respondents say the internet will be

very influential on their future. 28 respondents equivalent to 30% of total respondents say the

internet will be influential on their future. 23 respondents equivalent to 25% of total respondents

say the internet will be kind of influential on their future and 8 respondents equivalent to 9% of

total respondents say the internet will not have any influence on their future.

This means that most of the respondents believe the internet will be very influential on their

future.

40
Objective three:

Which is the most challenges you have about the use of the internet?

Question: Which is the most challenge you have about the use of the internet?

Frequency Percent
Table 19: Respondents
POWER ISSUES 12 13
Challenges About the
LOW BANDWIDTH 31 33
Use of Internet
LACK OF NETWORK ACCESS 21 23

EXPENSIVE 18 19

INSUFFICIENT SKILLS 2 2

LACK OF ICT EQUIPMENTS 9 10

Total 93 100.0

From table 19, 12 respondents equivalent to 13% of total respondents say power issues is their
major challenge about the use of internet. 31 respondents equivalent to 33% of total respondents
say low bandwidth is their major challenge about the use of internet. 21 respondents equivalent
to 23% of total respondents say lack of network access is their major challenge in the use of the
internet. 18 respondents equivalent to 19% of total respondents say their major challenge with
the internet is that it is expensive. 2 respondents equivalent to 2% say their major challenge with
internet us is the lack of sufficient skills. 9 respondents equivalent to 10% of total respondents
say lack of ICT equipment is their major challenge to internet use.

41
Question: Which of the following do you think should be done to improve access to the
internet?

Frequency Percent

PROVISION OF COMPUTERS AND MOBILE DEVICE 32 34

NETWORK IMPROVEMENTS 31 33

INTERNET EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS 9 10

COST OF INTERNET SHOULD BE MADE 18 19

AFFORDABLE

CONSTANT POWER SUPPLY 3 4

Total 93 100.0
Table 20: Respondents Responses on How to improve Access to the Internet

From table 20, 32 respondents equivalent to 34% of total respondents suggested the provision of
computers and mobile devices as a way to improve access to the internet. 31 respondents
equivalent to 33% of total respondents suggested the improvement of network as a way to
improve internet access. 9 respondents equivalent to 10% of total respondents suggested internet
education for students as a means of improving internet access. 18 respondents equivalent to
19% of total respondents suggested that the cost of internet be made affordable to improve
access to the internet. 3 respondents suggested constant power supply as a means to improve
access to the internet. Therefore, most of the respondents thought the provision of computers and
mobile devices was the best way to improve internet access among students. The pie chart below
shows this results in a more graphical format.

42
 CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction

This chapter deals with the summary of the study as well as the conclusion and recommendations

for policy and practice. It ends with suggestions on related areas for further research.

5.1 Summary

The study sought to find out three main things. First, to find out what students use the internet

for. Second, to examine the effects (positive and negative) of internet on the academic

performance of the students and third, to identify the challenges students face in the use of the

internet.

The research produced some findings on these key areas.

Key findings

1. It was established from the study that 81% of respondents who were all students had

access to the internet. 30% of the respondents used the internet to communicate with 27%

using the internet for entertainment while 23% of the respondents use the internet for

research purposes.

2. On the issue of the effects the internet has on students, the research indicated that the

internet had a positive effect on the students as 33% of respondents said the internet had a

43
 positive effect on their education as they use it for assignments and to learn new things.

However, 47% of respondents said the negative effects of the internet is that it was a

distraction to them.

3. On the challenges students faced with the use of the internet, 33% of the respondents said

low bandwidth was the major challenge they faced with regards to internet use.

5.2 Conclusion

The research found that access to internet among students was very high. It also found out that

most of the students use the internet to do their assignments and learn new things. However, the

study also found that the internet was also a distraction to them as students. The study also

confirmed a long-held hypothesis that internet services are not the best due to low bandwidth and

network access.

Though most of the students responded that they use the internet to do their assignment and to

learn new things, I have my doubts about it since I do not think all of them are well trained on

the use of the internet and how to search for information using the search engines.

The research has revealed what students use the internet for. It has also revealed that the internet

has a positive effect on their studies.

5.3 Recommendations

Based on the findings of the study, I would like to recommend the following for policy making

and practice.

1. Senior High Schools should maintain a well-functioning computer laboratory and make

internet education one of the important things to teach students. This I believe will give

them the needed skills to be able to utilize the vast amount of information the internet has

44
 to offer and to prepare them adequately for tertiary education where they will be required

to use the internet mostly in their learning.

2. Teachers should encourage their students to search for information on the Internet by

giving them assignments that will require the use of the internet. I believe this would

persuade all students to attempt using the Internet and also sharpen their skills.

3. Developers of apps should find a way to design programmes that will enable students to

learn complex class topic on the internet to reduce the time they spend on social media

sites.

SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

The same research topic could be conducted in other districts in the region and beyond to

determine whether similar results would be realized. Studies could also be conducted to find out

students’ ability to search for accurate information on the internet. Again, further research could

be conducted to find out the relationship between Internet use and students’ academic

performance.

45
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APPENDIX

APPENDIX A

QUESTIONNAIRE ON INTERNET USAGE AMONG SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENT; A CASE STUDY OF DON BOSCO TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

This questionnaire is intended to collect data on the above research topic. It is strictly for

academic purposes and will not be used for any other purposes. I hope you give me your

maximum cooperation as you answer the questions objectively. Thank you.

SECTION A (Please tick where appropriate)

1. Gender:

Male [ ] Female [ ]

2. Age range.

15-20 [ ] 21-25 [ ] 25-30 [ ]

3. What is your residential status?

Resident [ ] Non-Resident [ ]

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4. Which department do you belong?

B.Tech [ ] Secretarial [ ] Electricals [ ] Wielding [ ] Computer Techology

[ ] Catering [ ]Commercial Arts [ ] Agric [ ] Carpentry [ ]

5. Level.

Year 1 [ ] Year 2 [ ] Year 3 [ ]

SECTION B

6. Do you have access to the internet?

Yes [ ] No [ ]

If no, Why?…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

If yes proceed.

7.  How often do you use the Internet?

Everyday [ ]More than once a day [ ]Once a week [ ]Once a month [ ]don’t know[ ]

8. On average, how many hours per day do you spend on the Internet?
Less than 1 hour a day [ ] 1-2 hours [ ] 2-3 hours [ ]
3-4 hours [ ] More than 4 hours a day [ ]
9. Why do you use the internet?

Entertainment [ ] News [ ] Research [ ] Communicate [ ] Business [ ]

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10. Which will you prefer as your source of information?

Use Internet more than library[ ] Use Internet and library about the same [ ]

Use Internet less than library [ ] Don’t know [ ]

11. Do you use the internet to do your assignments?

Yes [ ] No [ ]

12. Do you use the internet in learning new things?

Yes [ ] No [ ]

SECTION C

13. How do you think using the internet affects your study?

Very much, and negatively [ ] Not at all [ ]

It has positive effects on my study \[ ] Don’t know [ ]

14. In your class, what is the situation of students that use the internet

Most of the students use the internet frequently [ ] Only a few people use the internet [ ]

Nobody use the internet frequently[ ] Nobody use the internet at all [ ]

15. Which of the following will you say is negative about internet use to students?

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It distracts students [ ] It increases plagiarism[ ]

Causes students to become violent[ ] Makes student practice internet fraud [ ]

16. Which positive effect do you think is the most important to students?

Provides information to students to learn [ ] Express students feelings [ ]

Chatting and having new friends [ ] Expands students’ knowledge [ ]

17. What do you think about the internet’s effects on students?

More positive [ ] More negative [ ] 50% positives 50% negative [ ]

18. What benefits do you think the internet has on students?

Express feeling [ ] Learn new information [ ] Social networking [ ]

Broadens students’ knowledge [ ]

19. What is your parent’s opinion towards internet?

Good tool for learning [ ] A waste of time for students[ ] Its used for fraud [ ]

Spend too much time and money on it [ ]

20. What is the motivation for you to use the internet?

Curiosity [ ] Influence by classmates [ ] The demand of study[ ] Just for fun [ ]

21. What kind of website have you visited the most?

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News [ ] Games [ ] Music [ ] Video [ ] Social [ ]

22. How do you think the internet would influence your future?

Very influential [ ] Influential [ ] Kind of influential[ ] No influence [ ]

Section D

23. Which is the most challenges you have about the use of the internet?

Power fluctuation [ ] Low Bandwidth [ ] Lack of internet access [ ] Expensive [ ]

Insufficient internet skills [ ] lack of ICT equipment [ ]

Section E

24. Which of the following do you think should be done to improve access to the internet?

Provision of more computers and mobile devices [ ] Network improvement [ ]

Internet education for students [ ] Cost of internet should be made affordable [ ]

Constant power supply[ ]

62