Investigating the Use of Information Technology in Learning English Technical Terminology among Students at the Higher Institute of Water Affairs, Ajilat, Libya: A Critical Secondary-Evidence Analysis

الملخص

Technical terminology is a prerequisite for interpreting specialised texts, measurements and procedural guidance in water-related education, yet claims that digital tools automatically improve technical-vocabulary learning remain insufficiently tested in Libyan vocational institutions. This critical secondary-empirical analysis examines published evidence relevant to students at the Higher Institute of Water Affairs, Ajilat, without misrepresenting those studies as institute-based fieldwork. A purposive, source-traceable synthesis draws on recent Libyan vocabulary studies, a UK sector survey and established IT for Specific Purposes (ITSP) scholarship. A Libyan primary-school digital-storytelling study (n = 30 overall) reported an increase in vocabulary mean scores from 52% to 71%, a descriptive difference of 19 percentage points; a separate experimental university study (n = 60) reported a significant digital-intervention advantage without publishing a directly extractable effect estimate in its abstract. At the University of Zawia (n = 30), learners rated Quizlet's contribution to vocabulary and retention at 4.12/5, but this is an attitudinal rating rather than a measured learning gain. In the UK Jisc survey (n = 15,398), 60% reported wifi difficulties and 37% a period without a suitable device. These heterogeneous findings support a qualified model combining discipline-specific lexical input, retrieval practice, contextual application and equitable digital access, while precluding pooled effect estimation or site-specific conclusions. The study presents original cross-study analytical tables, source-labelled figures and a preregistration-ready protocol for future Ajilat data collection. Its principal contribution is to distinguish encouraging intervention evidence from weaker self-report and transferability claims.