Abstract
In this digital era, individuals must acquire the skills, information, and attitudes
necessary for the workforce and society in the twenty-first century. These attributes are
acknowledged by academics, instructors, corporate leaders, and government initiatives
as essential for achieving success in the 21st century. Academicians require a distinct
combination of abilities, specialized knowledge, and mental resilience to do research,
educate, and support the community. Although there are advantages to incorporating
technology in education, research has shown that academic faculty still lack proficiency
in media literacy (ML). This study assessed the ML proficiency of academic staff
members at public education colleges in Nigeria as a developing nation, with reference
to southeast geopolitical zone. The research utilized a quantitative methodology and
involved academic personnel from public institutes of education in Southeast Nigeria
who were surveyed both offline and online. 725 questionnaire respondents were
selected using purposive sampling. Version 28 of SPSS was used in data analysis. The
descriptive findings demonstrated a high degree of information literacy and media literacy. The study recommends that management of institutions should keep a close eye
on their academic staff of ML Skills to maximize each person's productivity. Future
studies could investigate the correlation between IL and ML skills with other higher
education categories in the nation to support the UNESCO 2030 agenda to provide
Quality Education.
Keywords: Media Literacy, Media Literacy Skills, Assessment, Academic Staff,
College of Education, Nigeria.
Publication Date: 2026-07-31