Use of social media in student learning and its effect on academic performance

Abstract

Social media are considered the most important communication tool worldwide. It has impacted on every aspect of the society, but especially on higher education. Thus, needing to understand the impact of social media on students’ academic performance is inevitable. Social media in higher education have been much studied, but the impact on students’ academic performance has not been addressed sufficiently, particularly in Sri Lanka. Hence the objective of this study was to examine the impact of social media on students’ academic performance. A comprehensive model was formulated and validated, using data collected from 320 undergraduates. The measurement model analysis provided an adequate construct validity and reliability and the structural model provided a good model fit. Of ten hypotheses tested, nine were supported. The findings revealed that integrating social media into teaching and learning can assist in enhancing students’ academic performance.