Factors influencing information and communication technology (ICT) competency among undergraduate computing students: a systematic review.

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Název: Factors influencing information and communication technology (ICT) competency among undergraduate computing students: a systematic review.
Autoři: Onyema, Solomon Crescent, Yushau, Balarabe, Ya'u, Badamasi Iman
Zdroj: Discover Education; 3/16/2026, p1-25, 25p
Abstrakt: 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]
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Abstrakt: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]
ISSN:27315525
DOI:10.1007/s44217-026-01270-x