Online Behaviour as Predictive of Professional Online Work Readiness Among Mass Communication Students

This study explores the relationship between students' online behaviour and their perceived readiness for professional online work. A sample of mass communication students (n=143) from five Rwandan universities completed a questionnaire. Analysis showed that the three dimensions of online behaviour correlated positively with the students' perceived readiness for professional online work. While the respondents' audience engagement levels had the highest correlation with online skills readiness, the frequency of online accounts usage had the weakest correlation. The multiple regression results revealed that levels of engagement and ownership of online accounts were significant predictors of the students' perceived professional online skills readiness. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference in perceived professional online skills readiness between students who rated themselves as highly prepared and those who expressed low levels of preparedness for professional online skills. Implications and future research directions are discussed based on the findings.