Designing and Testing the Model of Causal Relationship between Information Literacy and Critical Thinking Mediated by the Academic Self-Efficacy among Graduate Students of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

The purpose of this study was to design and test the model of causal relationship between information literacy and critical thinking by mediating the academic self-efficacy among graduate students of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz.

The research used a correlational method, namely the structural equations modeling (SEM. A great deal of research that has been done on relation to the variables of the present study showed that there is a positive and significant relationship between the variables. The suggested model of the research is presented according to the theoretical discussions and the results of the research. In designing the proposed research model, information literacy and academic self-efficacy was considered as an independent variable and a mediator variable, respectively and critical thinking as the dependent variable. In this research, four hypotheses concerning the direct and indirect effects of information literacy on the critical thinking were considered.

The values of goodness-of-fit indices related to the proposed model of research indicated that most of the co-efficient values in the research model were significant and somewhat acceptable. Regarding direct effect hypotheses, the findings showed that information literacy has a direct and positive effect on the academic self-efficacy and critical thinking of graduate students. Also, academic self-efficacy had a direct and positive relationship with critical thinking. The results of Bootstrap test, regarding indirect path showed that information literacy through academic self-efficacy has an indirect and positive effect on the critical thinking of postgraduate students.

The results of the study showed that the proposed model is suitable and acceptable and all of the research hypotheses were confirmed. Based on the findings of this study, information literacy skills and learning by postgraduate students are considered as the key to lifelong learning which plays a major role in enhancing the academic self-efficacy of students and increasing their critical thinking skills. Therefore, it is necessary that information literacy skills and its teaching to students should have a higher priority for higher education and academic institutions, so that we can educate people more competent and capable in society.