The information skills and technology use of 3,159 Finnish 12–22-year-old
students were examined in this study. Data were collected using
the combination of a usage habit questionnaire and a performance-based
test that measured their skills when choosing a medium to seek information,
defining search queries, and selecting and evaluating search results.
On average, these students’ information skills were found to be
insufficient. Particularly, students failed in creating search phrases,
and they tended to concentrate on content relevance at the expense
of source reliability. Versatility of technology use was found to
be the most prominent predictor of students’ information skills.
Education level also had an increasing effect on information skills,
whereas age alone, within separate education levels, did not have
the same effect. Self-efficacy was found to be associated only with
male students’ information skills. Gender had no direct effect on
information skills; rather it was identified as a moderator for
the ongoing relationship between information skills and technology
use.