The value of information literacy skills among university students

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate students’ information literacy (IL) skills at Kuwait University. Moreover, faculty members’ perspectives on students’ IL skills were explored. Method: The study adopted the quantitative approach using the survey method to collect data and employed convenience sampling of students and faculty members. Online questionnaires were sent to students and faculty of the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies to collect data. Overall, 358 student responses and 78 faculty responses were received and statistically analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Results: The results showed that students used limited non-academic resources, and most of them were not familiar with the IL concept. These results were confirmed by the faculty who reported that students lacked IL skills, which consequently prevented them from joining research-based courses. Conclusion: The lack of IL skills negatively impacts students' academic achievement. This study, therefore, recommends that IL programs are to be added to the curricula of undergraduate programs, namely, the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, to ensure that students acquire IL skills. This would help students reap the maximum benefits of the skills and become information-literate individuals who are able to find, evaluate, organize, use, and communicate information in various forms.