Mendeley Literacy Among Students of the Kesejahteraan Pendidikan Keluarga (PKK) Program of Syiah Kuala University

Abstract

This study aims to assess the level of Mendeley literacy among students in the Family Welfare Education Study Program at Syiah Kuala University, focusing on three key aspects: general understanding, theoretical comprehension, and practical application. The research is motivated by an academic policy mandating the use of Mendeley for academic writing, particularly in undergraduate theses. However, the extent of students’ actual understanding of the software remains unclear. A quantitative descriptive approach was employed, with data collected via a Google Form-based test comprising 50 multiple-choice questions developed from comprehension indicators proposed by Sanjaya (2008). The respondents were active students from the 2020–2021 cohorts in two concentrations: Culinary and Fashion. A total of 215 students were initially considered, with the final sample of 68 determined using purposive sampling and calculated using Slovin’s formula. The findings indicate that students' overall Mendeley literacy falls into the moderate category, with an average score of 69%. The general and practical understanding aspects each scored 70%, while theoretical comprehension was slightly lower at 66%. Students exhibited proficiency in basic functions and practical usage, such as account creation, reference management, and bibliography generation. However, they faced challenges in more advanced theoretical and technical aspects, including metadata understanding, synchronization algorithms, and deduplication features. These results highlight the need for enhanced training, intensive guidance, and accessible self-learning resources to improve students’ information literacy comprehensively. The study recommends collaboration between lecturers, librarians, and program administrators to strengthen students' skills in effectively utilizing academic reference management tools.

ABSTRAK

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingkat literasi Mendeley pada mahasiswa Program Studi Pendidikan Kesejahteraan Keluarga Universitas Syiah Kuala, yang mencakup tiga aspek utama: pemahaman umum, pemahaman teoritis, dan pemahaman praktis. Latar belakang penelitian ini didasarkan pada kebijakan akademik yang mewajibkan penggunaan Mendeley dalam proses penulisan karya ilmiah, khususnya dalam skripsi, namun belum diketahui sejauh mana tingkat pemahaman mahasiswa terhadap aplikasi tersebut. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan deskriptif kuantitatif dengan teknik pengumpulan data berupa tes berbasis Google Form, terdiri dari 50 butir soal pilihan ganda yang dikembangkan dari indikator pemahaman menurut Sanjaya (2008). Responden penelitian ini adalah mahasiswa aktif angkatan 2020–2021 pada dua peminatan: Tata Boga dan Tata Busana berjumlah 215 diambil dengan teknik purposive sampling dan ditentukan dengan rumus slovin sehingga berjumlah 68 orang. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tingkat literasi Mendeley mahasiswa berada pada kategori sedang, dengan nilai rata-rata keseluruhan sebesar 69%. Rata-rata pemahaman umum dan praktis masing-masing mencapai 70%, sementara pemahaman teoritis lebih rendah yaitu 66%. Mahasiswa cenderung lebih memahami fungsi dasar dan penggunaan praktis seperti membuat akun, menambahkan referensi, dan membuat bibliografi, namun mengalami kesulitan dalam aspek teoritis dan teknis lanjutan, seperti pemahaman metadata, algoritma sinkronisasi, dan fitur