Resumen

MATLALA, Mpubane E.  y  KHESWA, Siyanda E.. The perceived usefulness of the Internet to high school learners in Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality, Limpopo province, South Africa. SAJIM (Online) [online]. 2019, vol.21, n.1, pp.1-8. ISSN 1560-683X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/sajim.v21i1.1098.

BACKGROUND: The growth in Internet use has dramatically altered the lives of millions of people around the globe, and it plays a fundamental role in meeting the information and communication needs of learners. The usage of the Internet is a crucial tool for educational progression. Learners use the Internet for various purposes such as social, entertainment and educational activities. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the perceived usefulness of the extent of Internet use by Grade 11 learners from selected high schools within Makhuduthamaga Municipality in Limpopo province. METHOD: A quantitative research method was used, with 264 learners participating in the study. Data were collected through questionnaire surveys. A total of 264 questionnaires were send to the participants and all of them were returned, yielding a 100% response rate, and the data were analysed descriptively. RESULTS: The findings indicated that the Internet was used for various activities - 78.0% (205) using it for learning purposes, 46.5% for communicating with family and friends, 41.0% to update their knowledge, 18.0% for entertainment and 11.0% for news. The findings shed light on the most effective use of the Internet by high school learners, and this implies that schools and policy-makers need to formulate proper ways in which learners can utilise the Internet for their educational activities. CONCLUSION: The use of the Internet for teaching and learning purposes demonstrated that it has a strong impact on the quality and accessibility of education and academic performance. This study is significant for high schools and policy-makers in understanding the link between the use of the Internet and its usefulness in learners' education, owing to the fundamental nature of the Internet in the educational environment.

Palabras clave : Internet use; ICTs; high school learners; learning outcomes; Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality.

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