Internet Usage by Selected High School Learners in Limpopo Province

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to report on the results of a study investigating internet usage by Grade 11 learners in seven schools in the Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive design was used for this study. The population of the study was 861, and the sample size of 264 high school learners was determined by using the sample table devised by Krejcie and Morgan (1970). The sample was stratified according to the percentages of the population of the learners per school. All 264 learners who agreed to participate in this study did so, and the response rate was therefore 100%. Data were collected through the use of questionnaires and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 19. Most of the respondents indicated that the greatest benefit gained from using the internet was the reliability of information: 34% (139). The accuracy of information was indicated to be the main benefit by 33% (134) of respondents; time saved was selected by 19% (76); and for 14% (55), user-friendliness was the greatest advantage of using the internet. It was also revealed that although the majority of learners expressed confidence in their ability to use the internet, some of them did not possess sufficient skills for optimal online information and knowledge seeking. Moreover, they experienced a number of obstacles to using the internet, including network connection problems, slow internet speed and a lack of suitable power supply.