The Relationship between Use of the Internet and Academic Achievement among Students of the Department of English Language in Zarqa University

The study aims of investigating the relationship between the usage of the Internet and academic achievement among the students of the English Department at Zarka University. The population comprised all students of the Department who were registered in the first semester of the academic year 2011/2012, with a total number of 475 students. A questionnaire consisting of relevant items reflecting the Internet possible usages, was distributed among students of the Department. 326 (68.6%) usable questionnaires were returned. 311 students (95.4%) were Internet users. The results showed that more than 75% of these users used the internet for less than 10 hours per week. About 70% of them used the internet for study purposes. The results revealed slight differences in the academic cumulative averages (academic achievement) of students who used the internet for certain purposes and those who did not. Significant difference was only found in the case of using the internet for communicating with colleagues and friends (discussion/ chatting groups) in favor of those who used the internet. The results also revealed that there was no significant difference in the academic achievement due to the number of Internet use hours.