Assessment of Information Literacy of Agricultural Postgraduate Students at Tarbiat Modares University, Iran

The main purpose of this study was to assess the information literacy among agricultural students of Tarbiat Modares University. Research design was descriptive- correlation and survey method used to gathering the data. Statistical population of study consisted of all agricultural post graduate students in Tarbiat Modares University (N =764). The sample size was determined by using Krejcie and Morgan's (1970) Table (n =256). Samples were selected through stratified random sampling method. Research instrument was a questionnaire. Face and content validity of the questionnaire revised and confirmed by a panel of agricultural extension and education experts. The results showed that information literacy level of students was moderate. In the second information literacy standards (effective and efficient access to needed information), students had the highest skill and they were weak in the fifth standard (familiarity with legal issues relating to access and use of information). Based on the Pearson correlation results, there were positive and significant relationships between student’s age, hours of work with computers and the internet, the research skills (knowledge of the English language, computers, internet and office software), the average scores of passed credits, with their information literacy. Regressions analysis revealed that average scores at present level, research skills and hours of work with computers and internet could explain about 21 percent of the variation in the information literacy. T-test results showed there is no significant difference between information literacy of students with different levels of education (M.Sc. and Ph.D.), gender (male and female) and participation or not participation in library tour. Based on other part of results, kind of undergraduate university affects the student's information literacy and there is no significant difference between the student's information literacy with different academic majors and various employment situations.