An Analysis of the Role of Educational Technology and Information Literacy in Enhancing the Academic Achievement of Student-Athletes

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the role of educational technology and information literacy in enhancing the academic achievement of student-athletes. Conducted as an applied descriptive-survey research, the statistical population included all secondary school students in Ardabil city during the 2023–2024 academic year. Using Cochran’s formula with a 5% error rate and 95% confidence level, the sample size was calculated as 357, and hypothetically 360 students were considered. Data were collected through questionnaires on educational technology, information literacy, and academic achievement, whose content and face validity were confirmed by management faculty members, and reliability exceeded 0.70. Structural equation modeling (SEM) using SPSS 19 and AMOS 23 was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that students demonstrated relatively favorable levels of educational technology usage and information literacy, with notable academic achievement. Path analysis revealed significant direct effects of educational technology on academic achievement (β = 0.67) and information literacy (β = 0.53), as well as a positive effect of information literacy on academic achievement (β = 0.18), underscoring the complementary role of these two variables in improving student-athletes’ academic performance. Overall, the study concluded that educational technology and information literacy play a crucial role, both directly and indirectly, in enhancing students’ academic achievement.