IMPLICATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON LEARNING OUTCOME OF STUDENTS OF HIGHER INSTITUTION
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
In recent years technology has tried to fulfill its role in helping humanity leading to the substantial medium of interaction in the social world as well as in teaching and learning. Over the years those in higher education has explore the exciting opportunities new technology bring to institutions, educators and students. Raymond and Afua, (2016) noted that “Technology has changed the way people interact and has brought about the emergence of an open social platform such as social media that allows the inhabitants of this planet earth to connect with each other making the world a global village. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Flickr, are being used in learning for the purpose of convenient communication with other students and potentially with others outside the class such as students of the same topic and subject experts.”
The advent of social media has impacted significantly on how students learn and the mode instructors teach. In today higher education settings; social media has influence instructors, students and others to cooperate with each other on the tasks of knowledge construction in learning and teaching environments. Social media applications can strengthen class material and positively influence discussions collaborative work, and authoring.
Educators and researchers are constantly experimenting with social media technologies hoping to stimulate critical thinking skills, collaboration, and knowledge construction (Chatti, 2010).
However, the fact that these media are generally open to the world implies a need to carefully consider its’ benefits, impacts and risks of openness as well as need for ongoing communication with students in order to address their concerns and deal with issues in the use of social media as they arise. Asemah and Edegoh, (2012), observed that “the expansion in technology has also affected internet software, thus leading to chatting sites known by the name “social media”. With social networking sites, one can send and receive messages almost immediately. However, lack of regulation of the internet has led to its excessive use. Correlating this, McQuail (2008) avers that the internet penetrates more homes. It is a common sight to see a youth chatting in sensitive and highly organized places like church, mosque and lecture venues. Some are so carried away that even as they are walking along the high way, they keep chatting. The manufacturing and distribution of equally sophisticated cellular phones has complicated the situation, as youths no longer need to visit a cybercafé before they send and receive messages. Attention has been shifted from visible to invisible friends, while important ventures like study and writing are affected in the process. This phenomenon has become a source of worry to many who believe in knowledge and skill acquisition. Thus, it is against the background of this study to examine the implication of social media on learning outcome of students of higher institution, a study of Ekiti state university in affiliation with Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Series of studies have targeted on causes of poor performance of students in school, and appropriate measures have been postulated by researchers in order to cub these phenomena. Among the measures are provisions of appropriate technologies for learning. Frankly, almost every student has got the power of this technology, be it android phone or laptop. But reverse the case, with the usages. It is evident that with the advent of social media has led to its hijack to other usefulness of the available technologies. The implications of social media on the learning outcomes of students in higher institution of learning in Nigeria have led to the poor performance in examinations. These poor performances in both internal and external examinations have significantly affected the education sector negatively.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
This study was purported to assess the implication of social media on student academic life. life To be specific, this study aims at exploring the kind of social media students are familiar with, how such social media is used by students of higher institution and the impact it making on their academic life.
1.4 Research Questions
The main research question of the study was” has social media has distinctive impact on students’ academic life?” To answer these questions and analyze how this impact has taken place, the following question were considered:
(a) What are the most common social media platform students used and the degree of their usage in Ekiti State University, Oyo?
(b) What are the relationship between social media usage and learning outcome of the students in Ekiti State University, Oyo?
(c) What are the ways of improving the learning outcomes in the students through the use of Social Media in Ekiti State University, Oyo?
1.5 The Significance of Study
It is anticipated that the finding of this research work would have impact on the following groups: government, school administrators; lecturers in higher institutions, students and community members at large. It is hoped that the finding of the study would revealed to the world the implication of social media on learning outcome of students of higher institution perhaps it is utilized rightly or wrongly.
The research findings will acquaints the government the importance of providing all necessary technologies that can aid social media in higher institutions as well provide all necessary measure to curb its misuses.
It is hope that the outcomes of this study will also suggest the need for the government and school administrators to provide necessary machineries both human and non human materials for the enlightenment of the students on proper usage of social media power they possesses.
It is expected that findings from this study would acquaint the prospective and the existing lecturers and teachers in the field with the importance of converting social media to lecture or academic media as well, make the real sources of procuring communicative materials by the students.
It is expected that the findings of this study would acquaint the students and the community members the need to acquire the right knowledge on how to convert social media to education media for their own personal development. Also, it is hoped that when people are aware and have knowledge on how to use things judiciously it will be very exciting.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study is strictly focused on the implication of social media on learning outcome of students of higher institution: A study of Ekiti state University, Oyo. Thus, the study will be restricted solely on Ekiti state University in affiliation with EMMANUEL ALAYANDE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION OYO in Oyo state.
1.7 Definitions of Terms
Implication: The conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated.
Social Media: Social media are interactive computer-mediated technologies that facilitate the creation or sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks.
Learning Outcome: A Student Learning Objectives is an assessment tool that allows a teacher to quantify his/her impact on student achievement as measured within the parameters of a particular academic or elective standard.
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Introduction
This chapter presents the review of theoretical and existing conceptual basis in order to set current study into a new perspective and join ongoing discourse and empirical study. Thus, this chapter focuses on the review of the following:
2.1 Theoretical Framework
The best to adopt in the study is Social learning theory by Klaus (1993) the theory states that various ways observers see their environment more than they capture reality itself. Kaplan (1964) also added that the formation of theory is not just the discovery of fact but a way of seeing and thinking about the world, as such it is better seen as the „lens‟ one uses in observation than as a „mirror‟ of nature.
In this study, the effect of social media on the spelling ability of students, social learning theory was used. There have been some questions on the kinds of values adopted and used by people from the conventional media and now social media. Social learning theory propounded by Albert bandura postulates that learning takes place in a social context via cognitive processes known as observation and uninterrupted guidelines even in the absenteeism undeviating corroboration. He further said that people learn persistently using communication within their immediate environment and now the virtual environment known as the internet/social media. He explained that communal and virtual communal interaction exercise influences on the mind thus, innovations such as social media is a factor in determining the life events, believes, values and culture tenable in our societies today.
Elder (1981) & Bandura (1989) Posit that technology provides new innovative methods that create social learning environments. One aspect of this technology is its ability to create platforms that allows interactivity and also provide the opportunity to observe others. To them human believe system is greatly influenced by virtual platforms used for the transmission of information and the stimulation of social persuasion of which social media is a clear example. Students and humans generally are now constantly surrounded by so many influences, fundamentally, the media. Social media has become integral to virtually all students across the globe and this has influenced them behaviorally, cognitively and otherwise.
Albert bandura gave three major process or stages by which social learning takes place since learning does not occur independently. These process are:
Identification: This is a psychological process whereby the subject assimilates an aspect, property, or attribute of the other and is transformed wholly or partially by the model provided. It is by means of a series of identifications that the personality is constituted and specified by which copying a model and specific acts, springs from wanting to be and trying to be like the model with respect to some broader quality” (White 1997).
Observation: Neal M & John D (1941). Observed that observational learning occurred when observers were motivated to learn, when the cues or elements of the behaviors to be learned were present, when observers performed the given behaviors, and when observers were positively reinforced for adapting those behaviors. According behaviors can be adopted when seen and such behaviours would be reorganized and then learned which produces new behaviour, and either increase or decrease frequency with which a previously learned behaviour is demonstrated.
Imitation: is an advanced behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates others behaviour. It is a form of social learning that leads to the development of traditions and culture. Miller and Dollard assumed that individuals behaved in certain ways and then shaped their behavior their based on imitation and learning. The researchers saw imitation as replacing random trial-and-error behaviors and that it has simplified behavioural adoption and reinforcement.
Social learning theory has been used for this study because it best explains how people learn and develop certain behaviors that could be as a result of media usage and exposure to media content plus the reason(s) and outcomes of such usage on the users. As the theory states, “the degree of our learnability in a social context is the key variable in understanding how we learn and adapt certain behaviors.
2.2 Conceptualization of Social Media
In a broad speaking, social media sites represent a recent innovation intended to foster communication and collaboration on a large scale. Since their invention, such sites have diffused so rapidly that the number of users is growing daily, and they have become an integral part of people’s personal and professional lives (Chugh & Ruhi, 2018). Social media can be defined as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010, p. 61).
The term “social media” refers to a set of tools that includes blogging services, discussion forums, bookmarking services, and wikis. Thus, the overarching concept of social media implicitly includes SNSs, which are defined by Chugh and Ruhi (2018, p. 606) as “an online service allowing users to construct a public or private profile to connect and interact with their social connections.” In the interests of both clarity and consistency, the term “social media” will hereafter be used to exclusively refer to SNSs. In the view of Cohen, (2011) Social media is the platforms that enable the interactive web by engaging users to participate in, comment on and create content as means of communicating with their social graph, other users and the public which have content formats including text, video, photographs, audio, PDF and PowerPoint. It can be said that social media is the tools, services, and communication facilitating connection between peers with common interests.
Social media therefore denotes to the wide collection of Internet based and mobile services that connect people together to communicate, participate, collaboratively interact, discuss and exchange ideas and information on an online community. The kind of Internet services commonly associated with social media (sometimes referred to as “Web 2.0”) include the following:
Weblog: Weblogs or blogs, as they are branded, are easily created and updateable websites that allow authors to publish to the Internet instantly, hence allowing instructors and students to communicate easily. Basically a blog is an online journal in which pages are usually displayed in reverse chronological order. Blogs can be hosted for free on websites such as Word Press, Tumblr and Blogger.
Wikis: A wiki is a collective website where any participant is allowed to modify any page or create a new page using her Web browser” (Dewing 2010). Anyone can add and edit what has already been published. One well known example is Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia that makes use of wiki technology.
Social book marking: Bookmarking sites allow users to organize and share links to websites. This enables users to produce a searchable personalized internet. Examples include reddit, Stumble Upon and Digg.
Social network sites: Boyd and Ellison (2007) defined social network sites as public web-based services that allow users to develop a personal profile, identify other users with whom they have a connection, read and react to postings made by other users on the site, and send and receive messages either privately or publicly. These web based services allow individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system. Among the most popular are Facebook and LinkedIn.
Status update services: This kind is also known as micro blogging services, status update services such as Titter, Whatsapp, Facebook, Histagram etc, allow people to share short updates about people or events and to see updates tweeted by others.
These are limited list that are certain to revolution quickly, probably could be by our own contributions to the field.
2.3 Means of Communication on Social Media
The communication on social media is different from the language of communication in formal setting most especially in written composition among higher institution students. It is clear cut that that the some major examinations are conducted in form of essay writing, particularly with standard use of English. Therefore, the language of communication via essay writing has changed because many students are addicted to social media language in their everyday communication. They are comfortably with the use of social media language rather than the language of instruction in school. These languages have no regard for rules of grammar and syntax, phonology and phonetics. The students’ addiction to social media language makes them use informal and less correct language like dialect, abbreviations, acronyms, spelling mistakes and emotions in their daily interactions.
Additionally, students make use of video calls in connecting and interacting with friends and family. They make use this medium often and this takes most of their time. The means of communication on social media are analysed bellow:
1. Texting as a Means of Communication on Socio Media
Both adults and youth use texting for personal, family and social purposes. Texting (text messaging is used to send messages via mobile phones).
Abbreviation and Acronyms
This is the act of shortening a form of word or a phrase for easy communication. Acronyms are the act of shortening a word, a phrase or sentence using the initial letter of each word, e.g NYSC (National Youth Service Corps), LOL (laughing out loud), OMG (Oh my God!) etc.
List of Common Abbreviations Used in Texting
Abbreviations Meaning
IDC I don’t care
2morrow Tomorrow
2nite Tonight
AEAP As early as possible
ASAP As soon as possible
ASL Age, sex, location
BB Blah blah blah
B4YKL Before you know it
BFF Best friend forever
BM&Y Between me and you
BRT Be right there
BTAM Be that as it may be
CP Sleepy
CTN Cannot talk now
CUS See you soon
SWOT Complete waste of time
CYT See you tomorrow
E,1,2,3 Easy as 1,2,3
EM Excuse me
F2F Face to face
GR Great
FC Finger cross
FOAF Friend of a friend
IDK I don’t know
ILU/ILY I love you
IMU I miss you
IRL In real life
JK Just kidding
JTLYK Just to let you know
KFY Kiss for you
KPC Keeping parent clueness
L&R Later
List of Common Emotions used while Texting
Happy
Sad
:-/ Confused
j) Winking
:x Love struck
:o) Clown
:p Tongue
:-* Kiss
B-) Cool
:cc Crying
O:-) Angle
:-w Waiting
:-? Thinking
:-s Worriet
>:) Devil
:-$ Sick
L:-p Party
2. Video calls as a Means of Communication on Socio Media
A video call is a phone call using an Internet connection, sometimes called VoIP that utilizes video to transmit a live picture of the person making the call. Video calls are made using a computer's webcam or other electronic devices with a video-capable camera, like a smartphone, tablet, or video-capable phone system.
According to David (2020) Video calling is just like a regular phone call, except you can see the person you are calling and they can see you. This makes each call very special because you never have to miss a big moment again. You can see a grandchild’s first steps, a sibling that may live far away, or anything else that you do not want to miss. It will feel like you are right there with them. While it is always best to see things in person, video calling is the next best thing. The best part is that it’s easy to do with your phone and you can make video calls wherever you have internet access.
Video call on a Smartphone
Smartphones have built-in application for video calls that vary from brand to brand. For example, you can make a FaceTime call on Apple iPhones. However, others may be downloaded and installed via your smartphone's app store.
Video call on a Tablet
Tablets require an application for making video calls. Again, Skype is an option, and other downloadable apps. Not all tablets include a built-in camera, so make sure your tablet has this feature before trying to make a video call.
Video call on a Video Phone
Phone systems with the built-in video call capability include a camera and the necessary programming to make video calls. The person receiving the call needs a similar phone system to view video and transmit a video back to the caller.
Additional software is often required. One such software programs are: facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, Whatsapp, etc. which allow for video calls, and normal voice calls, using an Internet connection.
FaceTime: It is applicable on an Apple iPhone, iPad, or Mac, FaceTime is best video calling option. FaceTime works with both Wi-Fi and cellular data, one can make a call from almost anywhere. To make a FaceTime call, all it need is the person’s phone number or Apple ID email address. They also need to have an Apple device that supports FaceTime. One of the best parts about FaceTime is that an Apple device can FaceTime any other Apple device. You can use your iPhone to FaceTime your grandchild on their laptop or their iPhone!
Skype: Skype is a popular video calling application that you can use on any device. If one go to Skype.com on his or her computer, one can download Skype and set up an account to start video calling other people with a Skype account. Otherwise an iPhone or iPad, one can download the Skype app in the App Store. Also, it is applicable on an Android phone or tablet, download the Skype app in the Google Play Store.
Google Hangouts: Google Hangouts is another app that can be downloaded to make video calls on your computer, tablet, or phone. Just like with Skype, once it is downloaded; it can be used it on a cell phone or tablet.
Google Hangouts and Skype are both great options if you don’t have an Apple device but still want high-quality video chatting.
2.3 Social Media and Students’ Academic Life in Higher Education
Students’ academic life in these context is describe as the activities that relates to the work done in colleges and universities especially which involves studying and reasoning rather than practical or technical skills. Higher education on the other hand is an educational level that primarily describes post-18 learning that takes place at the universities as well as other colleges and institutions that awards academic degrees and professional qualification. A side most deliberations of social media being perceived as either on the very straightforward or the very philosophical, emergent numbers of educationalists exploring and aspiring in this field are beginning to consider the possible significance and likely implications of social media for education practice and provision specially in terms of higher education. Social media constitute an increasingly important context in one’s academic everyday lives. Indeed, some critics talk of social media as a self-networked acknowledging avenue serving as a key site for sociality and identity recognition in many people’s lives (Papacharissi, 2010). According to Subrahmanyam and Šmahel, (2011) The apparently changing nature of a student, who is entering university, will ultimately see the significance of social media in higher education in a practical sense, the attribute of social media reflects a highly connected, collective and creative qualities application that are more flexible, fluid and accelerated in nature. Social media are therefore associated with an increased tendency for young people to multitask, to rely on a digital juggling of daily activities and commitments.
More subtly, the reason with young people associated with these emerging technologies is also associated with the autonomous nature of social media allowing students an increased control over the nature and form of what they do, as well as where, when and how they do it. As Tapscott and Williams (2007) argue that, young people ‘are not content to be passive consumers, and increasingly satisfy their desire for choice, convenience, customization, and control by designing, producing, and distributing products themselves’. For many educationalists the existence of social media in higher education settings is essential if universities are to (re)connect with these students (Selwyn, N). For instance, social networking sites such as We Chat which is predominant in china, LinkedIn and the flipped classroom such as schoology are now being used by universities as alternative spaces in which students can adapt to the university lifestyle through interacting online with peers and faculty.
Certainly, many universities now maintain profiles and groups on social networking sites such as Facebook, where students and faculty can interact, share resources and express learner voice. Social media poses a liberal environment for students to discuss share their views and opinions easily freely on issues that otherwise would not have been done in a normal traditional classroom, just as Mason and Rennie (2007: 199) reasoned that, shared community spaces and inter group communications are a massive measure of what excites young people and therefore should contribute to their persistence and motivation to learn.
According to Douglas Thomas and John Seely Browns (2011) description of a technology enhanced new culture of Learning that says, learning is based around principles of collective exploration, play and innovation rather than individualized instruction, it could be argued that social media supports the aspect of knowledge consumption and construction that are very different to the epistemological principle of formal education and individual instruction as well as sounding with currently fashionable constructivist and socio cultural learning theories. These ideas are reflected most explicitly in the notion of connectivism the idea that learning in a social media age now rests upon the ability to access and use distributed information on a “just in time basis”. Simply put, learning can be seen as an individual ability to connect to specialized information nodes and sources as and when required. Thus knowledge ability would demand nurturing and maintenance of these connections. (Chati et al., 2010). As George Siemens (2004)puts it, learning can therefore be conceived in terms of the ‘capacity to know more’ via social media rather than a reliance on the individual accumulation of prior knowledge in terms of what is currently known.
2.4 Impact of Social Media on Student Academic Outcome
Social media provides students a new mechanism for a familiar exercise. It provides students a direct medium by which to publicly evaluate and comment on their campus environments, institutional policies, classes, professors, and administration and fellow students in real-time. Social media zips through our campuses nearly unseen, dragging behind it the heavy weight of social injustices and complicated Jurisprudence accumulated from decades of student speech (Gurcan 2015). Given social media’s potential for positive impact, no one is suggesting we pull the breaks on it, and in many ways the technology is already out of our grasp. Today’s students communicate via technology, and that If you say absolutely no Facebook or texting, you are cutting off an important relationship with students technology as an online teacher use of technology via the use of a variety of tools such as Skype, text, email, Facebook and twitter. Social media open up new ways for collaboration and discussion in the sense that, it offers a great deal of content posting, coping, sharing and search ability by easily using online search tools. Students today use social media anywhere and at any time where internet connection is available in order to meet their educational needs (Dewing, 2010).
Students use social media to communicate with their Teachers as a group outside of class and to plan school events and what not, it also allowed students to get help on school work from teachers during the evening, weekends, and holidays so that they never fell behind. The cell phone numbers and WeChat are equally used to get in touch with teachers quickly during the school day, if a student is going to be late or absent or outside of school in an emergency. On the subject of the number of complaints of inappropriate contact involving social media, the possible threats are too great. Student engaging in a private relationship outside the classroom circles begs for inappropriate behavior to commence (Gurman 2015).
There is the likelihood of users not being courteous and respectful of other such that Profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, or language that is harassing, derogatory, or otherwise inappropriate for the school environment sometimes circulates in these platforms. Users could easily display, send, retrieve, or download any items that are sexually explicit, or contain hate based or discriminatory material without the notification of a teacher, school administrator or even their peers in the event. This in turn could make students concede that they have no right or expectation of privacy with respect to their use of school technology and therefore would not want to participate fully (Gurman 2015).
There is always the potential for things to go wrong, and that is true before technology as well. So commentators would have to stop worrying about what could go wrong and realize that there is a huge opportunity associated with social media that broaden the learning experience of students. (Oche and Aminu 2010) posits that majority of students and adolescences nowadays own Facebook accounts which is gradually resulting to a massive decline in the academic performance of students in all institutions of learning in Nigeria to be specific and the world at large. However reasons or explanations for this decline may not be farfetched from excessive usage of social media. While many minds might be quick to blame the poor quality of teachers forgetting that students‟ attention has drifted away from physical associates to virtual or online friends, whereas relevant academic related schemes like writing and spelling words effectively gets crippled in the process.
Corroborating the above, Olubiyi (2012) Noted that the level at which students are so enthralled to online chatting is one of the commonest trends in societies today, virtually 24 hours is spent on social media by active users(mostly student) to socialize and satisfy their yearnings for visibility in the virtual world. Verily, even in classrooms and lecture theatres, it has been observed that some students are always busy pinging, Twitting, viewing status or Facebooking, while lectures are on, time ought be channeled towards learning, academic research and innovative engagements have been crushed by the passion for meeting new friends online, and most times busy discussing trivial issues and most painful of all spelling words wrongly. Thus countless number of students experience academic impediment by virtue of excessive social media practice.
Furthermore, Obi, Bulus,Adamu & Sala (2012), observed that majority of students that often explore social media routinely have coined and adopted peculiar practices of writing and abbreviating words in formal settings and during chatting which is gradually becoming integral to their formal writing skills. For example students now use 2 in place of to, D in place of the, and 4 in place of for. These necessitated the establishment of deterioration in the use of English and grammar by users who are mostly students, therefore this explains in clear terms that words abbreviation while chatting has a direct link with the class assessment of students as it alters the conventional way of spelling words as required professionally. On the way round, they transfer such attitude to their academic writing, especially in their examination.
Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe (2007) notes that although social media has been recognized as an important resource for education today, other studies however shows that undergraduates harness social media such as Facebook for fun, to while away time, to meet existing friends or to make new ones. Also Kimberly, Jeong & Lee, (2009), supposed that students spend ample stretch on participating in social media activities, with many students apportioning blames to social platforms for consistent shrinkage and decline in excellent academic performance. It also shows that only few students are aware of the academic and professional networking opportunities the sites offers. In other words, if students used the tools well, it will have positive impact on their life.
2.4 Appraisal of Related Studies
As stated in the problem of this study that series of studies have proved that social media has negative impact on students academics life, here are some of the studies.
In a study on “impact of Facebook on undergraduate academic performance Moon (2011) averred that social media have negative impact on students. According to the result, the more students use facebook the more it affects their academic performance. Similarly, Oye (2012) noted that most of the younger students use social networking sites mainly for socializing activities rather than for academic purpose. Another study conducted by Shana (2012) revealed that students use social media mainly for making friends and chatting. The result showed that only 26 percent of the students (respondents) use social media for academic purpose.
Young (2006) in a study titled “the effect of internet use and social media on the academic performance of students” explained that the wide tentacles of the internet have impacted greatly to the school lives of undergraduates and students generally. He noted that contemporary students nowadays fundamentally depend on social media for information sourcing and entertainment that are hugely related to school life. The researcher added that, internet, though time sapping, have less negative effects on studies. This is evident going by numerous observations carried out on some students of university of Maiduguri who are vigorous handlers of social media and yet the most intelligent in their respective classes.
A new research study found that widespread use of social media among freshman college students may compromise academic performance. The study is one of the first to explore mechanisms of media effects on academic outcomes. Investigators determined that use of media, from texting to chatting on cell phones to posting status updates on Facebook may lower grades for freshman female students (Nauert 2007).
Another study by Karpinski & Vein (2009) pointed out that social networking handlers create little or no time for their educations when compared to non-users. The study was able to ascertain and generalized that based on data collected and analyzed in relation to users and non-users CGPAs hence in the history of generations and their peculiar distractions, Social media usage and addiction is seen to be the foremost disturbance of this current generation (Karpinski & Duberstein (2009).
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
This chapter is concerned with the methods and procedures used in carrying out the research. Descriptive survey method was employed in this study. The design was attempted to examine the implication of social media on learning outcome of students of higher institution, a study of Ekiti state university in affiliation with Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo. Thus, the researcher tried to gather data on the identified research problem without manipulating any of the variables in the study.
3.2 Population of the Study
The population of the study consists of all Students in Ekiti state university in affiliation with Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo of Oyo State.
3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique
The study employed simple random sampling technique. Thus, sample for the study consists of six (6) schools (faculties); in each school, twenty students are randomly selected. The schools are:
• School of Science
• School of Education
• School of Languages
• School of Arts and Social Sciences
• School of Vocational and Technical Education
3.4 Research Instrument
The instrument used for the study was “questionnaire”. The questionnaire was divided into two sections. Section ‘A’ provided Demographic Information of the respondents and partly explains how the questionnaire is to be filled, while section B focused on the three raised research questions, each research question consists six items and key for the responds are: Strongly Agree=SA, Agree=A, Strongly, Disagree=SD and Disagree=D.
3.4 Validity of the Instrument
The instrument will be subjected to both face and content validity to ensure that they measured what they were expected to measure. Face validity entails looking at questions and questionnaire respectively and deciding if they really measures what they are expected to measure. Content validity on the other hand, it has to do with the use of recognized subject matter experts to evaluate whether questionnaire assess defined content.
3.5 Reliability of the Instrument
Pilot test of the instruments were carried out to observe how the respondents react to both and questionnaires; whether the items are clear enough and easily understood, whether there is the need to include more items in certain areas, or whether there are some items to which they would not like to respond, etc. This helped determine the internal consistency and reliability of the questionnaires. A total of 5 students were randomly selected as a sample outside the area of study, copies of the instruments were administered as a small, the results was analysed to determining the validity of the instrument.
3.7 Method of Data Collection
Permission was sought from the schools authorities and the participants were enlightened on how to attend to the both the interview questions and the Questionnaire, the participants thereafter were asked to complete the questionnaire. Ethical issues of assurances will be given on the basis of confidentiality and discretion of the study. The participants were informed about the purpose of the study and its seriousness and they were encouraged to be truthful in their responses. The researcher administered the questionnaire with the assistance of one research assistant that assisted in the distribution and collection of the questionnaires.
3.8 Method of Data Analysis
The proportion of respondents’ responses administered will be calculated by using simple percentage.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.1 DEMOGRAPHICAL DATA
Table 4.1: Gender distribution of respondents
Gender Frequency Percentage
Male 56 46.70
Female 64 53.30
Total 120 100.00
From table 4.1, it could be inferred that majorities of the participants were females with the percentages 53.3%.
Table 4.2: Distribution of Respondents based on Level in Academic
Range Frequency Percentage
100L 22 18.3
200L 36 30.0
300L 25 20.8
400L 37 30.8
Total 120 100.00
From table 4.2, it could be inferred that majorities of the participants were 400L students years with the percentage 60.83%, followed by 34 and above with the percentage 20.80%, then, 18-25 with the percentages 18.30% respectively.
4.2 Analysis and Interpretation of Research Questions
Table 4.3: Respondents’ responses on the most common social media platform students used and the degree of their usage in Ekiti State University, Oyo
S/N Items SA (%) A (%)
D (%) SD (%)
1 You chat with friends on Facebook days and night. 80
(66.67) 20
(16.67) 10
(8.33) 10
(8.33)
2 You view people’s status on Whatsapps every day at your leisure time. 82
(68.33) 24
(20) 7
(5.83) 7
(5.83)
3 You get update news and trend matters on Twitter every day. 90
(70) 30
(25) 0
(0) 0
(0)
4 You use Wikis and Weblog to get information anytime you need it. 88
(73.33) 12
(10) 8
(6.67) 12
(10)
5 Histagram allows you to view short update about people or event and to comments on issues at any time you like 77
(64.7) 23
(19.17) 13
(10.83) 7
(5.83)
6 Zoom allows people to have conference and lectures online at a schedule time. 98
(81.67) 10
(8.34) 5
(4.17) 7
(5.83)
From table 4.3 above, it is evident that the majority of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed that they used social media like: Facebook, Whatsapps, Twitter, Histagram, Zoom, Wikis and Weblog for fun on many occasions, during the day and night, in their leisure time, every day they need it or on a scheduled time. The implication of this is that the students have inclined to the soc ial media usage and they have attached importance to it.
Table 4.4: Respondents’ responses on the relationship between social media usage and learning outcome of the students in Ekiti State University, Oyo
S/N Items SA (%) A
(%) D
(%) SD
(%)
1 Social media is a learning tool that can be engaged with in learning process inside or outside the class. 75
(62.5) 18
(15) 10
(8.33) 17
(14.17)
2 Short Messaging Service (SMS) on Social Media have negative impact on language writing of the students 68
(56.66) 27
(22.5) 15
(12.5) 10
(8.34)
3 Spend hours chatting, blogging, posting information and connecting with friends and family keep students away from reading their books. 90
(74) 11
(9.17) 8
(6.67) 11
(9.17)
4 Chatting online while lecture is going on in the class affect students learning outcome 88
(73.33) 16
(13.33) 8
(6.67) 8
(6.67)
5 Social media platform like whatsapps, zoom, and chatMe can be used to organize students and lecturers interaction for academic purpose. 6
(5) 13
(10.83) 19
(15.83) 82
(68.33)
6 Many social media platforms serves as means of sourcing information for both students and lecturers 98
(81.67) 10
(8.34) 5
(4.17) 7
(5.83)
From table 4.4 above, it is evident that the majority of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed affirmatively that there is cordial relationship between social media usage and learning outcome of the students, it has both positive and negative impact on the students’ learning outcome. Positively, it is a learning tool that can be engaged with in learning process inside or outside the class; many social media platforms serves as means of sourcing information for both students and lecturers; and social media platform like whatsapps, zoom, and chatMe can be used to organize students and lecturers interaction for academic purpose. Negatively, it is evident that Short Messaging Service (SMS) on Social Media have negative impact on language writing of the students; many students spend hours chatting, blogging, posting information and connecting with friends and family which keep them away from reading their books; also, some chat online while lecture is going on in the class which tend to divert their attention from lecture and consequently affect their learning outcome. The implication of this result is that social media could be of positive impact on students learning outcome if it could be used effectively by both lecturers and students for academic purpose.
Table 4.5: Respondents’ responses on ways of improving the learning outcomes in the students through the use of Social Media in Ekiti State University, Oyo
S/N Items SA (%) A (%) D (%) SD (%)
1 Course materials are to be shared on social media. 98
(81.67) 10
(8.34) 5
(4.17) 7
(5.83)
2 It is encouraged to be given online assignment. 26
(21.67) 10
(8.34) 14
(11.67) 70
(58.34)
3 One needs to distinguish from academic writing and social media writing while writing. 100
(83.34) 6
(5) 8
(6.66) 6
(5)
4 Online learning should be encouraged in some courses. 76
(63.33) 17
(14.17) 5
(4.17) 22
(18.33)
5 Students need to desist from social media in lecture rooms while lecture is going on for better concentration. 89
(74.17) 13
(10.83) 7
(5.83) 11
(9.17)
For better understanding one need to write accurately on social media. 98
(81.67) 10
(8.34) 5
(4.17) 7
(5.83)
From table 4.5 above, it is evident that the majority of the respondents strongly agreed and agreed that the itemized ways of improving the learning outcomes in the students through the use of Social Media are effective and relevant. They indicate that course materials could be shared on social media; assignment could be given to students online; also, students need to distinguish from academic writing and social media writing and while writing they should write accurately on social media. Furthermore, for better concentration, they should desist from social media in lecture rooms while lecture is going on. The implication of this is that if these better measures are adopted in converting social media to learning tools, teaching and learning process among students, the outcome of students learning performance excellent, especially, among students in Ekiti state University in affiliation with Emmanuel Alayande College of Education.
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 SUMMARY
The study was on the influence of facebooking and social media usage, the study was carried out using higher institutions in Oyo town, namely;Atiba University, University of Ibadan in affiliation with Federal College of Education, Special Education, Oyo and Ekiti State university of Education in affiliation with Emmanuel Alayande College of Education. Four research questions were raised to guide and stimulate the study in an understanding position. However, the researcher administered questionnaire which was use as the instrument for gathering relevant data from the respondents, the data were analyzed using chi-square method in chapter four of the study.
The study however, comprise of five chapters in chapter, one of the study covered: introduction, background of the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, objective of the study, scope of the study, research questions and hypothesis, and definition of terms were discussed under the aforementioned sub-headings above.
In chapter two of the study, the researcher review some work done by other researcher on the influence of facebooking and social media usage and how it affects students’ performance, especially, in most of private universities and public universities used. In chapter three of the study, the researcher explained the methodology used in carrying out the study. Likewise in chapter four of the study, the data gathered from the respondents was analyzed in the chapter with the use of chi-square as the method of analysis.
In chapter five of the study, the researcher summarized, concluded and makesnecessary recommendations on the study.
5.2 CONCLUSION
The primary objective of the research undertaken was to throw light on how effectively the usage of facbooking and social media sites has affected the students by evaluating both the positive and negative aspects. Social media serve to students’ purpose of connecting them with people all across the globe by not hampering their working hours and schedules. Despite the several benefits that come with the participation ofthe students on social media networks, its misuse could badly affect the academic performance.
The findings of this study showed that, there is positive consequence of average study time and negative impact of time spending on various social networking websites on students’ academic performance. It indicates that, the educational performance increases by giving more time on study and decreases for spending more time on social networking websites. Above all, in the era of globalization and technology, a single day can’t be thought without using facebook and social media sites, but should be used in a limited and positive way without getting addicted.
5.3 RECOMMENDATION
Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, the following recommendations are made:
• The teachers may encourage the students to minimize time wastage on chatting and other irrelevant engagements which are not of major importance by counselling about the negative influence of social media.
• Nigeria Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and parents should monitor activities of the students on social media in order to protect them from pornographic pictures and videos and other unwarranted materials.
• The use of LinkedIn should be increased because the site gives the facilities of linking employers with potential employees, provides a place for individuals to post resumes and offers referrals and for employers to post current job openings.
• Students should be encouraged to utilize social media applications in the way that will positively influence their academic performance.
• Students should be given assignments and research work to keep them busy out of social media negative apps
• Students should not be allowed to use or operate handset in lecture rooms.
• Students should communicate properly to avoid developing bad habits of writing in social media communication.
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