THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN TEACHING AND LEARNING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

A wide range of web-based tools and services that promote community development through interactions and information sharing collectively fall under the heading of “social media” (Arnold & Paulus, 2010). Additionally, they claim that the technologies encourage user interaction and free expression. Social media encourages communication and cooperation, according to Junco, Helbergert, and Loken (2011). Social media can be used well in academic settings to boost student engagement and speed up learning (Kabilan, Ahmad & Abidin, 2010). Skenazy (2009) stressed that while people typically think of phones as communication tools, the reality may be completely different. In an increasingly digital environment, people are learning to quickly attend to, process, and respond to numerous and occasionally concurrent communication channels, according to Davidson (2011).

messages. Instructional communication researchers should conduct programmatic research to better understand how these tools affect classroom communication and, as a result, learning outcomes given the variety of ways in which digital communication tools may continue to influence teaching and learning practices (Schuck & Aubusson, 2010).

According to Kuppuswamy and Narayan (2010), social networking websites can be helpful for education when used in conjunction with sound pedagogical practices that use online social networking sites to support student learning for a variety of educational purposes, even though they divert students’ attention and concentration away from learning and toward non-educational activities like pointless and unnecessary chatting. Because of this justification, social networks could be thoroughly investigated in order to provide a variety of learning opportunities and thereby facilitate student learning.

education procedures. Mobile phone access to social networks improved secondary school students’ active participation in social life, particularly after school. It is very challenging to instruct and comprehend those groups of students because of this tendency. As a result, this study examined the impact of social networks on academic performance among students, especially in Nigerian secondary schools. The question is not whether it is advantageous for students to connect socially via an open electronic medium, but rather how this may negatively or favorably impact their academic performance.

Several studies have been done on how social media affects students’ learning outcomes in colleges and schools. Numerous studies have determined that social media can have both positive and negative effects.

regarding the educational progress of students (Espinosa, Laffey, Whittaker & Sheng, 2006). Social media does not, however, appear to have an impact on students’ performance in secondary schools, according to research. However, this study will look at how social media is used in Nigerian secondary schools for teaching and learning.

SITUATION OF THE PROBLEM

Children of school age have recently demonstrated a strong interest in communicating via various social networking sites. Facebook and Twitter are the two websites with the most users worldwide, respectively. Teenagers are the most frequent users of these social networking sites, engaging with friends, images, videos, and games. While some studies claim that students’ use of social networking sites improves their academic performance (Ovute & Ovute, 2015). Others

cite how it has harmed the students’ behavior and academic development (Morgan, Grahan, & Hodges, 2012). The majority of secondary school students in Nigeria have been observed to be unconcerned with their education. This could be because they are updating their status on Twitter or talking to friends and acquaintances on Facebook, Instagram, or Whatsapp instead of focusing on their studies. Due to their lack of interest in learning, this abhorrent tendency may cause students to look away from their books or fail to pay close attention during the teaching and learning process. This is in line with Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory from 1975.

Csikszentmihalyi (1975) aimed to comprehend why artists, particularly painters, could lose themselves in their work to the point where they forgot about basic needs.

for sleep, food, and beverage. This method gave special attention to the holistic feelings people have when participating fully in their favorite activities. It refers to total engrossment in a task to the extent that the person is drawn into and carried away by the current activity. Therefore, this study will look at how social media is used in secondary school instruction and learning in Nigeria.

1.3 STUDY’S OBJECTIVES

Examining social media’s role in secondary school teaching and learning is the main goal of this study. The following are additional study goals:

i. To learn how social media is used in secondary schools for teaching and learning.

ii. To learn about the various types of

Social media is used in secondary school instruction and learning.

iii. To ascertain whether social media has an effect on secondary school students’ academic performance.

iv. To investigate how social media is affecting secondary school teaching and learning.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

In this investigation, the following research queries will be addressed:

i. How much social media is used in secondary schools for instruction and learning?

ii. Which social media platforms are used for teaching and learning in secondary schools?

iii. Does social media have an effect on secondary school students’ academic performance?

iv. How do social media platforms affect secondary school teaching and learning?

1.5 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

The results of this study will be very helpful to students, teachers, administrators, curriculum developers, educational stakeholders, and Ministries of Education at all levels of government. The results of this study will be very helpful because they will enhance students’ learning processes and, as a result, their general academic performance. They will also increase students’ motivation, clarify the subjects being covered, and make learning more enjoyable. The results of this study will also help secondary school teachers emphasize again how important social media is for improving teaching and learning. Additionally, this provides a foundation that supports and complements the application of teaching techniques, thereby enhancing effectiveness.

The study’s findings will also help to inform and educate school administrators about the significance or

otherwise of social media’s impact on secondary school instruction and learning. The findings of this study will also have a big impact on Nigerian education ministries at all levels of government. This is due to the fact that it will inform the government of the benefits of social media for teaching, learning, and academic success.

1.6 THE STUDY’S SCOPE

Examining how social media is used in secondary schools for teaching and learning is the main goal of this study. This study is specifically concerned with determining the amount of social media use in secondary school teaching and learning, the types of social media used in teaching and learning in secondary schools, and whether social media has an impact on the

Examining the effects of social media on teaching and learning in secondary schools and the academic performance of secondary school students.

Respondents for this study will be teachers and students at particular secondary schools in Otukpo, Benue State.

Limitations to the study: 1.7

Like any human endeavor, the researcher encountered a few minor difficulties while carrying out the study. The researcher decided on a small sample size because there isn’t much literature on the topic as a result of the discourse’s nature, which resulted in additional costs and time spent looking for pertinent materials, literature, or information as well as during the data collection process. Additionally, the researcher combined this investigation with other academic endeavors. Furthermore, since only

Since only a small sample of respondents participated in the study, the findings cannot be generalized to other secondary schools outside the state. No matter the constraints encountered during the investigation, all aspects were minimized to guarantee the best results and the most fruitful research.

1.8 TERM DEFINITION

Learning: The process of acquiring new knowledge, behaviors, skills, values, or preferences, or of changing and reinforcing ones already held, may involve the synthesis of various types of information.

Teaching is the deliberate sharing of knowledge and experience, typically organized within a discipline, as well as, more broadly, the provision of support for students’ intellectual and psychological development by teachers.

Social media: Interactive digital channels and technologies that make it easier to create and share exchange of knowledge, concepts, passions, and other forms of expression via online communities and networks.