The Impact of Digital Competencies on Students' Attitudes towards the Use of Information and Communication Technology

The technological developments that are happening at a rapid pace have affected almost every aspect of our lives. These developments also have their impacts on the field of education and professional training. Through this study, we try to discover the connection between students' digital competencies and the impact of these competencies on students' perceptions of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Our goal is to discover the factors that influence students' attitudes towards ICT, and this would help in preparing strategies to improve teaching and its infrastructure. The research question of this research paper is to discover how students' digital skills influence their attitudes. If these attitudes were positively affected, then the expectations are that students would be willing to use technology for their academic needs. In our work, we have relied on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) theory and the European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp). The data collected from the questionnaire were analyzed using statistical methods such as regression, correlation, and ANOVA. Our findings show that students with higher digital competencies are more willing to use technology. Our study has also highlighted some challenges, such as barriers to access to technology or demographic differences and their impact on digital skills. Based on the findings, we have offered recommendations that address the improvement of the digital infrastructure of universities and the preparation of policies that address the specific needs of students.