Digital literacy as a catalyst for academic confidence: exploring the interplay between academic self-efficacy and academic procrastination among medical students

Abstract

Background: Digital literacy influences academic behaviors, especially in medical education, where students encounter considerable academic challenges. However, the effects of this phenomenon on academic self-efficacy and procrastination remain inadequately understood. Objectives: This research explores the relationships between digital literacy and academic self-efficacy, emphasizing the mediating role of academic procrastination and its various dimensions among medical students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from seven medical colleges from October to December 2023. The research employed meticulously validated measurement tools encompassing a digital literacy scale, academic self-efficacy scale, and academic procrastination scale and collected data on 659 medical students. Descriptive statistics and inferential testing (mediation analysis) were performed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships of the study variables. Results: The empirical results confirmed that digital literacy positively influenced academic self-efficacy and negatively correlated with academic procrastination. Among the five dimensions of procrastination assessed, self-efficacy emerged as the most potent mediator, significantly reducing procrastination and enhancing academic self-efficacy, followed by affective procrastination, time management, task avoidance, and behavioral procrastination. Conclusion: The findings underscore the critical role of digital literacy in fostering academic self-efficacy and reducing procrastination among medical students. Educators can develop more effective interventions to support medical students in their academic journey by targeting specific dimensions of procrastination, particularly self-efficacy-related procrastination. Future research should consider longitudinal studies to confirm causality and explore these dynamics in diverse educational settings.