Factors influencing information and communication technology (ICT) competency among undergraduate computing students: a systematic review.
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| Title: | Factors influencing information and communication technology (ICT) competency among undergraduate computing students: a systematic review. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Onyema, Solomon Crescent1 (AUTHOR) c.solomon@education.fulafia.edu.ng, Yushau, Balarabe1 (AUTHOR) byushau@atbu.edu.ng, Ya'u, Badamasi Iman2 (AUTHOR) biyau@iuiu.ac.ug |
| Source: | Discover Education. 3/16/2026, p1-25. 25p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Information technology education, *Computer science students, *Digital literacy |
| Geographic Terms: | Nigeria |
| Abstract: | Nigeria continues to face a critical shortage of information and communication technology (ICT) experts despite producing thousands of computing graduates annually who are expected to enter the ICT industry. This gap reflects not a quantitative deficit, but a qualitative shortfall in ICT competency. This systematic review identifies factors influencing ICT competency among undergraduate computing students globally, with implications for the Nigerian context. Following the PRISMA 2020 framework, a comprehensive search was conducted on 17 June 2025 across Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with no restrictions on subject categories, to retrieve studies published between 2015 and 2025. The search yielded 435 records; after duplicates were removed and titles, abstracts, and full texts screened, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. Inclusion and exclusion were guided by the Population–Interest–Context (PICo) framework and required studies to be empirical, data-driven (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods), peer-reviewed, and published in English. Methodological quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT, 2018). Due to heterogeneity in study designs, a narrative synthesis and thematic analysis were conducted. Three interdependent factors emerged as key influences on ICT competency: (1) cognitive and knowledge-based factors, (2) skill development and practical exposure, and (3) affective and reflective factors. These factors interact bi-directionally, highlighting that isolated interventions are insufficient; holistic strategies are required to develop graduates with conceptual understanding, technical proficiency, and the dispositions and motivation to engage persistently and creatively in ICT tasks. The review proposes an integrative framework for ICT competency development and recommends empirical validation within the Nigerian context to inform curriculum reform and enhance industrial readiness of computing graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Discover Education is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 192415135 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=192415135 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1007/s44217-026-01270-x Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 25 StartPage: 1 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Information technology education Type: general – SubjectFull: Computer science students Type: general – SubjectFull: Digital literacy Type: general – SubjectFull: Nigeria Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Factors influencing information and communication technology (ICT) competency among undergraduate computing students: a systematic review. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Onyema, Solomon Crescent – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Yushau, Balarabe – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ya'u, Badamasi Iman IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 16 M: 03 Text: 3/16/2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 27315525 Titles: – TitleFull: Discover Education Type: main |
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