CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background to the study

Social media is all about communication. Human being will always communicate among

themselves and communication is as old as man is. Sen (2015) said communication represents

essential and very important human need as well as basic human right. The least and most

prominent is the mouth and other parts of the body. When the receivers are far away some other

media would be necessary. Early among man's media of communication are drum, trumpet,

whistle etc. With event of time and technology, radio, television, mobile phone and computer

with the aid of internet became popular modern means of communication. These modern

communication devices have made dissemination of information easy.

Afolabi (2012) shared the view that the world is a global village where information, ideas

products and designs travel from one part to the opposite end speedily. This is made possible

through the modern information and communication technology equipment. Katz et al, (2009)

expressed the same view by saying that information that usually takes many days or weeks to

disseminate now takes seconds or minutes. It is now possible for people to make interpersonal

communication with others to get desired information as quickly as possible from other areas of

the country or from other countries with the use of social media without leaving their immediate

environment. This phenomenon is referred to as global village. Webster (2014) defined global

village as a community in which the distance and isolation has been dramatically reduced by all

forms of electronic media.

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Kaplan (2012) attempted the classification of social media into four categories: Space-timers-

These are location and time sensitive. It gives consideration to exchange of message with

relevance for specific location and time. In this category are Facebook, 2go, BB chat. Second

category is the quick-time. This is time sensitive. They deal with transfer of traditional social

media application to mobile services by decreasing the time and thereby increase quick delivery.

These include posting twitter messages, and updating display picture (DP), status update [2go].

The third category according to Kaplan (2012) is the space-locators. This is location sensitive.

This can exchange message with relevance for one specific location which are tagged to certain

place. Finally we have the slow-timers. These are neither location nor time sensitive. They

transfer traditional social media application to mobile devices, e.g. the Wikipedia entry.

Asemah and Edegoh (2013) opined that the exposure to social media by undergraduate students

of the University is high and this has negative effect on their performance. On the other hand,

there are other adults and many professionals, including teachers and school faculty, who

encourage the use of social networking sites like Facebook because they allow students to

connect with one another and discuss school related issues (Alexander and Salas (2018).They

further said that students can form online communities in order to plan for a project, have group

discussions about class material, or use the SNS as a way to keep in contact when a student has

been absent and needs to be updated on current academic information.

Academic excellence or achievement plays an important role in an individual placement either in

the academic institutions or job placement. The pursuit of academic excellence is a global

phenomenon. Due to this, many people are concerned with the ways they can enhance academic

achievement. This has encouraged many studies about the conditions affecting it.

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Academic achievement refers to the measurable outcomes of a student's performance in

educational settings, reflecting their mastery of knowledge, skills, and competencies within a

given curriculum. These achievements are typically assessed through various means such as

exams, assignments, projects, and standardized tests. While academic achievement encompasses

a broad spectrum of accomplishments, including grades, awards, and certifications, it goes

beyond mere quantitative assessments to encompass critical thinking, problem-solving abilities,

creativity, and effective communication (Baldwin, 2017)

Academic achievement plays a pivotal role in shaping individuals' life trajectories, influencing

their access to higher education, career opportunities, and socio-economic mobility. High

academic achievement often correlates with greater opportunities for scholarships, admission to

prestigious institutions, and lucrative career paths. Beyond its immediate practical implications,

academic achievement fosters sense of accomplishment, self-esteem, and intellectual growth,

nurturing lifelong learning habits and fostering a culture of excellence.

Majority of youths are shifting speedily from electronic media like television viewers and radio

listeners to the social media. This craze of social media has led to a host of question regarding its

impact on society in general and on youth in particular. While many might be quick to blame the

prevalent poor academic achievement on other factors including the poor quality of teachers, it

may be good if we shift our attention to the use of social media as a major factor (Oche &

Aminu, 2010 in Osharive, (2015).

Social media open up new ways for collaboration and discussion in 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
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to meet their educational needs. Students use social media to communicate with teachers as a

group outside the class and to plan school events and so on, it also allowed students to get help

on school work from teachers afterschool, weekends and holidays for regular academic update

(Dewing,2010).

Prensky (2011) made a divide between digital natives and digital immigrants. He considered that

among the users of social media, those born after 1980made use of social media with ease than

those before the time. Social networking is of relevance in educational setting. This is because it

is gaining attention in research. Thepool of data on the internet has become the repertoire of

knowledge library for research in education. Livingstone and Brake (2010) reported that recent

trend in America shows that about 47% of adult make use of social network. Lenhart, Purcell,

Smith and Zickuhr (2010) made a report on 2009 that 37% online teenagers use social

networking site which increased to 55% three years later.

Social media has contributed immensely to effective interaction among students of higher

institution of learning all over the world. A particular question can be posted on social media e.g.

on a particular Whatsapp group for discussion and this will allow individual contribution to the

subject matter. Lecturer can post assignment on social media of a particular class and students

can submit an assignment through a dedicated channel of social media. 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

4
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).

The social network approach holds that the response of an individual is affected by the kinds of

relations, or technical ties, and networks more than by the norms and attributes that an individual

possesses. The social, informational, or material resources that two individuals exchange

characterize their closeness. In social network analysis, these resource exchanges are termed

“relations. “Some positive and negative relations are assumed to be related to an individual's

performance. Researcher’s empirically demonstrated that friendship and advice relations were

positively related to a student’s academic achievement and an employee's job performance

(Baldwin, 2017). It is as a result of this background that the study intends to examine the

influence of social media on the academic performance of Chemistry Education students with

particular reference to Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Social networks generated by technology are valuable tool but today's young people are misusing

them. Incidentally, parents are quite busy fending for the family; they do not have enough time to

sit and discuss with their children. Many questions that are meant for parents to answer are asked

and answered online.

Many young women have been victims of sexual harassment and young men are victims of fraud

due to the use of social media. Social media addiction also influences a poor relationship with

parents, lecturers and also learning environment as the students spends much of the time surfing

the internet. The numerous problems of social media sage have recently been the major focus of

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attention worldwide. Issues of poor academic achievement, fraud, identity thefts, pornography,

exposure to problematic materials, online victimization of youths, exposure to unsafe online

behavior, identity theft problems and the general gap between parents, the use of social media for

internet crimes ranging from hacking to recruitment for terrorism and countless other negative

influences associated with social networking in general have been a cause of concern for scholars

and authorities worldwide.

Different inventions have been recorded over the years in the radio, television and the internet.

Researchers, scholars and authorities are beginning to perceive negative effects of social media

most especially on students’ academic achievement. This study therefore considered how much

the use of the social media has affected students ‘academic achievement in Prince Abubakar

Audu University, Anyigba. In other words the study finds out the influence of social media on

the academic performance of Chemistry Education students in Prince Abubakar Audu

University, Anyigba.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of social media on the academic

performance of Chemistry Education students in Prince Abubakar Audu University,Anyigba.

Specifically, the study sought to:

i. Examine the types of social media platform used by students in learning in Prince

Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba

ii. Examine the level of students use social medias platform in Prince Abubakar Audu

University Anyigba

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 iii. Examine the influence of social media platform on the academic performance of

students in chemesty in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study has both theoretical and practical significance. Theoretically, this study will add to the

existing knowledge on Uses and Gratifications Theory and also on issues related to social media

and its influence on students’ academic performance in Nigeria.

Practically, this study will serve as an eye opener to higher institutions of learning in Nigeria on

what the social media are being used for among Nigerian Students by exposing their perception

and the impacts on their academic.

It will enable other stakeholders like the Ministry of Education to give appropriate orientation to

students and even the Lecturers on how social media can aid learning. In this regard the social

media will not be misused or abused. The research also looked at how social medial can affect

the academic achievement of students.

1.5 Research Question

i. What types of social media platforms are used by students at Prince Abubakar Audu

University, Anyigba?

ii. What are the level of students use social medias platform in Prince Abubakar Audu

University Anyigba

iii. What are the influence of social media platform on the academic performance of

students in chemistry Education in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba?

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1.6 Scope of the Study

The study focused on the influence of social media on the academic performance of Chemistry

Education students in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba. The study was conducted in

Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba because it focused on undergraduate student in

Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Conceptual Framework

2.1.1 Concept of Social Media

Social media continuously keeps changing and as such it is difficult to assign affixed definition

to it as (Jacka and Scott, 2011), argued that "there is no single recognized definition for social

media". However some scholars have defined it in different perspectives over the past years.

Kaplan and Haenlein (2010), defined social media as a group of internet- based applications that

build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and allow the creation and

exchange of user-generated content. The Oxford dictionary (2011), also defined social media as

"websites and applications used for social networking". Another definition of social media is that

it is a communication channel which is very popular, extremely fast and broad, has proven to be

highly effective, as well as trusted by billions of people, to share and discover content

concerning individuals, brands, information, entertainment and knowhow'(Dearborn,2014).

One theme that all these definitions underpin is that social media involves some form of

communication between individuals over the internet. Social media began in the late 1990s with

the first recognized social media network called "Six Degrees " in 1997and this technology

enabled people to upload a profile and make friend. From 1997 to2001 a number of community

tools; Asian Avenue, black planet and MiGente began supporting various combination of profile

and publicly articulated friend Boyd, Danah, Ellison and Nicole (2017). There has been

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tremendous improvement since this era and today there exist uncountable social networking sites

either developed for local use, specific purpose or international use.

Kaplan and Haenlein (2010), classified social media into six (6) different categories as follows;

1. Collaborative project (Wikipedia)

2. Blogs and micro blogs (Twitter)

3. Content communities (Youtube)

4. Social networking sites (FB, 2go, BB chat)

5. Virtual game World (world of war craft)

6. Virtual second world (second life)

This classification of social media into classes has been useful to scholars and individuals for

easy identification and study of a particular social media type but today a difficulty may arise

due the high proliferation of social media and one may wonder which group a new developed

social media type fits into. Social media is considered to be the fastest growing web application

in the 21 century and this rapid development is being backed by technological advancement

(Heyam, 2014). Mankind has enormously benefited and continues to benefit from it and as such

cannot underestimate its importance as far as communication is concerned. Today, social media

has taken a new dimension and has encouraged more participation through the introduction of

mobile phones that support social networks applications. The use of mobile phones that are

powered by Android applications to social network is termed as Mobile social networking.

According to Humphreys (2017), in his study titled "Mobile Social Networks and Social

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Practices" social network applications have now been migrated from the computer to the mobile

phone, network information and communication can be integrated into the public space; and

these new services that are developed for mobile phones allow users to create, develop, and

strengthen their social ties.

Social media has emerged as a term frequently used (and variously defined) to describe different

types of communication platforms and electronic ways of interacting (Mozee, no date). Kaplan

and Haenlein (2010) defined it as a group of internet-based applications that build on the

ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,allows the creation and exchange of user-

generated content and depend on mobile and Web based technologies to create highly interactive

platforms through which individuals and communities share, create, discuss and modify user-

generated content.

Bryer and Zavatarro (2011) saw it as "technologies that facilitate social interaction, make

possible collaboration, and enable deliberations across stakeholders".Anjugu (2013) describes

social media as "a group of internet based application that allows the creation and exchange of

users generated content", while Ezeah et al (2013)defines it as "modern interactive

communication channels through which people connect to one another, share ideas, experiences,

pictures, messages and information of common interest".

2.1.2 Social Networking Sites (SNSs)

Boyd and Ellison (2017) defined Social Networking Sites as "web-based services that allow

individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2)

articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3)view and traverse their

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list of connections and those made by others within the system". Ahmed and Qazi (2011) state

that the first official social networking site [Link] launched in 1995 to provide

students with a means of connecting during or after graduation from school. Boyd and Ellison

(2017) however, while recognizing [Link] was created in 1995,pointed out that

given their definition of social networking sites as quoted above," the first recognizable social

network site" [Link] launched in 1997. It was the, first" because it allowed users to

create profiles, list their friends and surf friends lists which [Link] could not permit as

at when it was created. There is an availability of over 100 social networking online connecting

millions of users, that is, 500 million members on Facebook; 130 million members on

[Link];75 million members on [Link]; 90 million members on [Link];

[Link] with 500,000 members and so on".

The researchers also reported that internet users who visit SNSs or any blogging site comprise

two third of world's internet users consuming about 10% of the whole time spent on internet and

accounts for 65% of internet usage. Similarly, 44% of the America's Internet traffic accounts for

social networking sites usage. The 20 most-visited social networking Web sites have more than

145 million users (Ahmed & Qazi, 2011).

The same trend has been reported in Nigeria. While Ahmad (2014) noted that as at2007,the

number of Nigerians on all social networking sites was below 40,000,however, in 2009 and

2010,there were 212,000 and 657,360 Facebook users respectively who indicated Nigeria: almost

53% increase and more than 60%o indicated they were students. The author, relying on data

from the Internet World Statistics, stated that in2014, there were not less than 6,630,200 Nigerian

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Facebook users. Given the popularity of social networking sites among young people especially,

there have been moves to incorporate it in the educational process.

2.1.3 Types of Social Media Platform used by Students in Nigeria

1. Facebook

Studies reveal that Facebook is the most popular and frequently used platform among students

(Junco et al., 2013). According to Junco (2013), researchers from Pew Internet and the American

Life Project found that between 67% and 75% of college young adults use social networking

websites and that anywhere between 85% and 95% of students use Facebook, making the latter

the most popular social media platform used by students. Facebook started on a college campus,

and it continues to thrive there among students, with 96% of students using it (Bart, 2009).

Statistics available shows that students world over spend more time on Facebook than any other

website, making Facebook the network site of choice for students as well as an integral part of

their behind the scenes academic experience (Selwyn, 2009). It is used to reinforce online

relationships just as in normal face-to-face communication.

Sheldon (2008) says students' motives for Facebook use depends on their intrapersonal needs and

interests. In the light of the uses and gratification theory, she posits that students use Facebook to

fulfil needs that are traditionally fulfilled by normal interpersonal communication or relationship.

In Nigeria where social media is fast becoming very popular means for interpersonal and public

communication, thee interactive aura of Facebook according to Ezeah et al. (2013) has resulted

in unprecedented popularity of the medium. A survey conducted by Micaiah (2014) reveals that,

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like other countries the world over, the vast majority of Nigerian Facebook users fall below the

age of 40 years, which means that approximately 3.9 million Nigerian youthsare on Facebook.

2. Instagram

It is an application that allows its users to post pictures and videos so as to share them with

friends and other social networking platforms. It is an is an American photo and video sharing

social networking service owned by Facebook, created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and

originally launched on iOS in October 2010. The Android version was released in April 2012,

followed by a feature-limited desktop interface in November2012,a Fire OS app in June 2014,

and an app for Windows 10 in October 2016. The app allows users to upload media that can be

edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can be shared

publicly or with pre-approved followers.

3. Snapchat

Snapchat is an American multimedia messaging app developed by Snap Inc. originally Snapchat

Inc. One of the principal features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only

available for a short time before they become inaccessible to their recipients. The app has

evolved from originally focusing on person-to-person photo sharing to presently featuring users'

"Stories" of 24 hours of chronological content, along with "Discover," letting brands show ad-

supported short-form content. It also allows users to keep photos in the "my eyes only" which

lets them keep their photos in a password-protected space. It has also reportedly incorporated

limited use of end-to-end encryption, with plans to broaden its use in the future. Snapchat is an

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application that is accessed in iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Its subscribers are allowed to

send and receive pictures that last for one to ten seconds after which they expire. About

100million people use it on a daily basis, majority being women (Smith, 2015).

4. YouTube

YouTube is a classroom in the pocket of students as they can access YouTube on their

smartphones. YouTube does not only possess an entertainment capability but also serves as a

means of disseminating academic content in the form of entertainment. It is an affordable

platform with e potential that it can be employed in school settings. As knowledge is increasing

exponentially, learning content is now infinite while school time is finite. Teachers have to rush

over important topics, squeezing much knowledge into little time and only fast or gifted students

can catch-up with the pace and process while a reasonable number of students are lost. YouTube

lends itself as a reliable tool in bridging the gap between students, time and knowledge by

complementing teachers' [Link] can upload the details of their subject content on

YouTube for a population of students to reach the same knowledge as they would in class and

they can play it repeatedly till they grasp the knowledge content. It also works well for students

who were absent from class.

Lange (2017) complicates the traditional dichotomies between public and private learning as she

explains how YouTube blurs the lines between students and knowledge through their video

sharing. Students learn and understand better with motion pictures asit captures their attention,

making learning interesting and enjoyable.

5. Twitter

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Twitter is a free microblogging and social networking platform service that allows registered

members to broadcast short posts called tweets, and to follow other users by using multiple

platforms (Junco, 2013). Users are only allowed to post 140 character messages called tweets.

Whereas Facebook allows users to readily connect with others and to share content, Twitter

differs in the sense that it is designed to allow users to broadcast short messages called tweets,

and to follow the short messages of others. Tweets are inserted into text messages which are

written in short hand due to the limited space. Constantly writing in shorthand hinders students

from writing words correctly, and the result is wrong spellings in examinations. Twitter updates

are ephemeral, in that if a student who follows many people who tweet regularly is not logged

into Twitter at the time someone the user follows posts an update, the user is likely to miss

seeing the update (Junco, 2013), meaning that academic updates can be missed by student

followers. Its ephemeral nature makes Twitter streams run constantly, pushing an

overwhelmingvolume of content at students without an opportunity for preview, which makes it

lessuseful for academic retention (Junco, 2014). Students are likely to miss updates from

asignificant friend which is contrary to Facebook algorithms which ensures that a student’s posts

can be seen no matter when they were posted. Through their video sharing. Students learn and

understand better with motion pictures as it captures their attention, making learning interesting

and enjoyable.

5. Twitter

Twitter is a free microblogging and social networking platform service that allows registered

members to broadcast short posts called tweets, and to follow other users by using multiple

platforms (Junco, 2013).Users are only allowed to post 140 character messages called tweets.

16
Whereas Facebook allows users to readily connect with others and to share content, Twitter

differs in the sense that it is designed to allow users to broadcast short messages called tweets,

and to follow the short messages of others. Tweets are inserted into text messages which are

written in short hand due to the limited space. Constantly writing in shorthand hinders students

from writing words correctly, and the result is wrong spellings in examinations. Twitter updates

are ephemeral, in that if a student who follows many people who tweet regularly is not logged

into Twitter at the time someone the user follows posts an update, the user is likely to miss

seeing the update (Junco,2013),meaning that academic updates can be missed by student

followers. Its ephemeral nature makes Twitter streams run constantly, pushing an overwhelming

volume of content at students without an opportunity for preview, which makes it less useful for

academic retention (Junco, 2014). Students are likely to miss updates from a significant friend

which is contrary to Facebook algorithms which ensures that a student’s posts can be seen no

matter when they were posted.

6. WhatsApp

Beside Facebook, another favorite destination for students is WhatsApp. WhatsApp meaning

'what's up' or 'what's new' is an easy to use interface for students. Aside from text messaging,

WhatsApp can be used to send images, video and audio messages and voice calling and these

make it a popular destination for students. Founded in 2009 by former Yahoo employees Brian

Action and Jan Koum, WhatsApp was and still is the most popular social media application with

more than 600 million active users. WhatsApp is a free social network that allows users to access

a great deal of information rapidly. This free messaging application is available for any

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smartphone that uses the internet to send messages, images, video, user location and audio

messages to other users,using standard mobile numbers (Barhoumi,2015).

The general educational benefits of WhatsApp are instant messaging; facilitating online

collaboration and cooperation between students, connecting them from school to home in a

blended mobile lecture; enabling sharing of learning content easily through comments, texting

and messaging among students, especially if discussion is related to course content taught in

class; providing students with the ability to create a class publication and thereby publish their

work as a group; easy construction and sharing of information and knowledge through instant

messaging.

2.1.4 Benefits Obtained from Using the Social Media by Students'

Despite being a recent addition to the Internet landscape, social media have witnessed an

exponential growth. It is now infiltrating nearly every field, including the educational arena.

These online social networks are increasingly being used for different reasons not only by

students but by teachers as well (Mazer, 2019). For this reason, a number of critics have started

questioning the validity of social software in learning environments, stating that such tools may

disengage students from learning traditional skills and literacies, or even destroy the traditional

roles of teacher and learner.

However, after a thorough examination of a wide range of social media, it has been found out

that these tools present many educational advantages for both students and instructors, hence,

contribute in providing opportunities for further learning. These advantages are detailed below.

A. Social Media as Communication Channels

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Studies have shown that the successful running of any learning experience depends on many

things, one of which being effective communication between teachers and their students. If no

proper communication between teacher and students is available, both teaching and learning will

become difficult. For this reason, teachers need to continuously monitor students in order to be

aware of any trouble the latter are having. Understanding the students' problems, fear, or

confusion will help faculty better understand students' learning difficulties. The more connected

the teachers are to their students, the more likely they are able to help students learn quickly and

at a high level (Jones & Jones, 2011).

B. Social Media as Engagement Tools

Social media tools are also effective ways to increase students' engagement. As the social

features of social media resources have attracted the attention of millions of people around the

globe, these same features are also capable of drawing the attention of students to the learning

opportunities provided by their academic institutions. A student who hardlyever participates in

class may get actively engaged in co-constructing his learning experience with his teachers,

collaborating with his fellow colleagues, and may feel more comfortable to express himself and

to share his resources and ideas on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

Using tools such as Google Apps for Education or Ning would enable students to have access to

valuable learning resources regardless of time and place. Within the traditional classroom,

providing students with additional learning materials can be very expensive and logistically

complicated. However, using social media can enhance the learning experience. In fact, inviting

students to participate in the different learning activities available on social learning platforms

19
would serve to support academic engagement by extending the amount of time a student spends

in doing his homework or related school projects.

C. Social Media as Collaborative Platforms

Another vital benefit of social media is that they foster collaboration. Collaboration means

working together jointly, intellectually, and socially to achieve common goals. Within an online

learning community, collaboration refers to any instructional method inwhich students work

together in groups towards a common goal (Mattessich, 2011). As such, collaborative learning

can be viewed as encompassing all group-based instructional methods, including cooperative

learning.

Following Ingram and Hathorn (2014), true collaboration consists of three critical elements:

participation, interaction, and synthesis. This means that collaboration in educational settings

requires that students move beyond merely dividing up assignments. True collaboration is not

only asking students to independently produce separate parts of a project; it actually means

working together on shared tasks. In this respect, Prince (2014) claimed that the core element of

collaborative learning is that emphasis is on student interactions rather than on learning as a

solitary activity.

2.1.5 Influence of Social Media Platform on the Academic Performance of Students in

Chemistry

The ephemeral nature of social media trends may not render enough stability to fully investigate

certain platforms such as Facebook and their relationship to academic achievement, and

differences in the definitions of constructs make comparison across studies nearly impossible.

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Social media provides immediate information for student use, nevertheless, the role of social

media in the academic context is not simply information processing but a more complex milieu

with the platform being in regular use by students having an overriding influence on their

affective and motivational processes (Lewis et al., 2010).

Oluwalanu et al., (2014) identify two factors that they say favor students who use social media in

enhancing their academic achievement, namely, immediacy and permanence. They say

immediacy, because social media messages give room for instantaneous responses, unless a

student decides to delay, but that the emergent nature of social media leaves room for

permanence in message production, thus, creating an opportunity for editing. They further

identified four areas where students stand to benefit from using social media: exposure to

modern technology, academic support for students, fun, easy, and creative ways to learn, social

bookmarking. Bookmarking enables students to save valuable academic information online,

which can be accessed on any computer any time anywhere. Bookmarked information can be

made public or private. Oluwalanuet al. (2014) identified dangers that accompany social media

usage as information overload, reduce reading culture, hindrance to face-to-face interaction with

teachers and classmates, and creating a decrease in comparing views.

Several institutions in Nigeria insinuate that rather than making students smart, social media is a

distraction due to its overuse in an inappropriate manner. In their view, students misuse the

social media to the detriment of their academic functions, leading topoor academic outcomes,

therefore, resulting in prohibition of cellular phones at schools in certain instances (Ajanaku,

2016). Such sentiment leaves a conflict between students and their institutions, with students

clinging to their passion for social media and schools establishing stringent rules to curb

21
students' use of social media even though information communication technology (ICT) is a vital

subject in the school curriculum. Some school managers see the banning of cellular phones "as

part of a more generalized struggle to impose restructured hegemonies in institutional practices

and culture" (Fairclough, 2015). Suciu (2013) corroborates tis thought when he says that social

media corrupts students at the intersection of their collective engagement with others on the

social media platform.

Contrary to these perceptions, Chen and Bryer (2012) assert that social media has proven to be

more effective in providing students with the opportunity to improve performance through

collaborative learning than individualised learning. In support ofChen and Bryer's (2012)

assertion, Ajanaku (2016) claims that social media possesses heuristic features that encourage

students to learn, discover, understand and solve problems as they use sites such as YouTube for

solving mathematical problems, spelling and grammatical correction.

2.2 Theoretical framework

Uses and Gratifications Theory

This study is rooted in Uses and Gratifications Theory. Katz, Blumler and Gurevitch pioneered

the Uses and Gratification Theory in 1974. But according to McQuail (2010), the theory could be

traced from the early 1940's when researchers started investigating why people listen to popular

radio programmes and why they read newspapers daily. Therefore, the theory emerged in

response to the needs of explanation to why people use certain media and the benefit they get

from them. Mass communication researchers are using the U&G Theory to examine, explain,

and provide answers to why people use certain media and what benefits or gratifications they get

22
after that. The basic assumption of this theory is that people use mass media for different reasons

and seek to derive various gratifications (Gallion, 2010; Wimmer and Dominick, cited in

Asemah, 2011).

However, the emergence of social media technologies changes the way people use mass media

as they differ in forms and context. Therefore, people who use social networks and other

computer-mediated communications are quite different from the mainstream media audiences

who relied on specific media contents (Li, 2015). Social media audiences have the advantage and

freedom to actively seek for information and many messages that are of interest and benefit to

them. New media technologies did not only alter the way information is gathered and distributed

but also changes the existing relationship between mass media and their audiences.

Li (2015) stated that people use social media to satisfy their needs which include cognitive

needs, affective needs, personal integrative needs, social integrative needs, tension release needs,

and medium appeal needs. For this, social media become a fertile research field demonstrating

the direct relevance of the U&G Theory and its participants (Matei, 2010). In the review of the

related studies, the researchers synthesized and examined works of Asemah (2011), Gallion

(2010), and Whiting and Williams (2013).According to these scholars, majority of the people use

social media for interaction, killing time, entertainment, seeking and sharing of information,

socialization, self-expression, education, surveillance and communication.

The theory is applicable to this study because the students in the university communities usage of

the social media channels depends largely on the specific satisfaction they derive from them.

Therefore, this study focuses on ascertaining the purposes and the benefits which the new media

serve for their student-users that invariably sustain their usage. It presupposes that there are
23
certain satisfactions the new media provide to the students without which their usage would have

been waned.

2.3 Empirical Studies

Omotosho (2022) investigated the influence of social media on the social behaviour of students

as viewed by primary school teachers in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. The survey is

descriptive with two hundred primary school teachers selected as participants. A research

question was raised and answered, and there were three hypotheses formulated and tested using

t-test and ANOVA at a p-value of 0.05. The findings revealed that students' usage of social

media had a negative influence on their social behaviour. In addition, there were no statistical

differences in the view of participants on the influence of social media on the social behavior of

teachers based on gender, age and educational level. Therefore, primary school teachers need to

sensitize students on the appropriate use of social media to improve their social behaviour among

others was recommended.

Oghogho (2021) carried out a research on the influence of social media on the university

students' sociability in Nigeria. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 250

students at BIU and 350 students at Delta State University through heterogeneous samples in

different faculties and departments of respective institution. The data derived were subjected to

descriptive statistics with simple percentage, chi-square test and one-way Analysis of Variance

(ANOVA).Findings revealed that age, year of study, family income plays decisive role in

respondents' ability to exploit the benefit of social media utilization for sociability. Further,

majority of the respondents were observed to use Facebook as major platform for friendship

sociability, with mobile media (feature phone with internet connection and smartphone) as a
24
medium of constructive sociability behaviour and respondents' friendship size of above

200demonstrate the strength of respondents' sociability practice.

Peter (2020) investigated the influence of Social Media and Academic Performance Of students

in University of Lagos. Five Research questions and five Research hypotheses guided the study.

To achieve this, the descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study focused on

University of Lagos hence, population consists of all the 24,661 full-time undergraduate

students. The simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 378 students. A

four point Likert Type Rating Scale Questionnaire type, titled: Social Media and Academic

Performance of Students Questionnaire (SMAAPOS) was used to collect data from the

participants. The descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentage, were used to analyze

the demographic data while inferential statistics of Chi-square(x2) was used in testing the

research hypotheses. Research findings showed that a great number of students in University of

Lagos, are addicted to social media. To this end, the researcher recommended that social media

should be used for educational purposes as well; Social Networking Sites should be expanded

and new pages should be created to enhance academic activities and avoid setbacks in the

students' academic performance; and Students should be monitored by teachers and parents on

how they use these sites. This isto create a balance between social media and academic activities

of students to avoid setbacks in the academic performance of the students

Catherine and Barry (2020), investigated the effect of social media on the academic achievement

of Office Technology and Management Students of Kaduna Polytechnic, Nigeria. This study

aims to shed light on the social media effect on the academic achievement of students. A survey

research design was employed. A 19 item questionnaire titled "Social Media and Academic

25
achievement of Students Questionnaire (SMAPOSQ) was used to collect data from the

participants. Using Gracjie and Morgan (1970) sample table, a sample of 210 was drawn from

the 465 population from regular ND1, ND2, HND1 and HND2 students of the Department of

Office Technology and Management in College of Business and Management Studies of Kaduna

Polytechnic. Out of the 210 questionnaires administered, 182 were retrieved and 80 were

analyzed using the SPSS. The hypotheses was tested using the t. test while frequencies,

percentages, standard deviation and mean scores were used to analyze the research questions.

The results revealed that social media does not always affect students’ academic achievement

negatively but positively. It was recommended among others that seminars should be organized

by either College Directors or by head of departments to enlighten students on the possible

implications of excessive use of social media and their effect on academic achievement,

Lecturers/instructors should channel assignments or discussions on social media platforms to

help inculcate the habit of using these sites for academic work, and students should not allow

social media become a source of distraction by self-talking themselves into cutting down the

time spent using it.

Obiageli (2019), in her research work titled “Impact of social media on the academic

achievement of tertiary institution students (a case study of Federal College of Education Eha-

Amufu). Descriptive survey research was adopted. The population consists of 2500

undergraduate students of Federal College of Education Eha-Amufu. Taro Yamane's formula

was employed to sample 100 [Link] instrument for data collection was questionnaire. The

questionnaire was administered randomly to 100students sampled from four different schools of

the college. Percentage was employed to analyze the result. The finding of the study shows that

the students of FCEE are more exposed to Whatsapp and Facebook among other social network.
26
The result also revealed that students use social media more for entertainment. The result also

showed that use of social media affect their academic achievement negatively. The study

recommends that students should be properly guided on the use of social media, so as to serve

the purpose of enhancement in education which was the initial aim.

Araoye (2018) investigated the effect of Social Media on Students" Academic achievement in

Higher Institutions of Learning in Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted for the study.

The population of the study five (5) higher institutions of learning in Ado-Ekiti ,Nigeria, to

ascertain how the use of social media has affected the academic achievement. The research

findings showed that 318 (86%) of the 368 students surveyed always stays online, 314 (85%)

have smart phones, (33.7%) 124 are on Whatsapp. A greater percentage agreed that they spend

most of their time on chatting both in the morning and at night. Many also said they chat while

lectures are ongoing. This of course can have negative impact on their academic achievements.

2.4 Summary of the Review

In summary, the evolving landscape of social media presents a challenge in defining its essence,

with various perspectives attempting to encapsulate its nature. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010)

define social media as internet-based applications rooted in Web 2.0 ideologies, facilitating user-

generated content exchange. Oxford dictionary (2011) simplifies this as platforms for social

networking. Dearborn (2014) characterizes social media as a dynamic communication channel,

trusted by billions globally, enabling rapid sharing and discovery of content spanning

individuals, brands, entertainment, and knowledge. The common thread among these definitions

underscores social media's role in facilitating internet-mediated communication. Originating in

the late 1990s with platforms like Six Degrees, social media has proliferated, offering diverse
27
functionalities from collaborative projects to virtual worlds. Kaplan and Heinlein’s classification

underscores this diversity, categorizing social media into six classes ranging from collaborative

projects to virtual gaming worlds. Despite these classifications aiding understanding, the rapid

proliferation of social media complicates categorization, reflecting its exponential growth backed

by technological advancement.

Today, social media's impact is profound, transforming communication dynamics, particularly

with the advent of mobile social networking. Humphreys (2017) notes this shift, highlighting

how mobile devices have democratized social networking, integrating it into public spaces and

strengthening social ties. Social media's prevalence, especially among students, is evident with

platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Twitter, and WhatsApp dominating

usage. Studies affirm Facebook's primacy among students globally, serving as a conduit for

socialization, self-expression, and academic support. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube offer

diverse content sharing avenues, while Twitter's microblogging format presents unique

communication challenges and benefits. WhatsApp emerges as a versatile tool for instant

messaging, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among students. Despite concerns

about social media's distraction potential, research underscores its educational benefits,

facilitating communication, engagement, and collaboration among students, thereby reshaping

the academic landscape

28
 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1Research Design

This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. This is to enable the researcher obtain

valuable information from teachers on the influence of social media on the academic

achievement of Chemistry Education students in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba.

According to Asika (2008) posit research design is the frame work or plan for the study which is

used as a guide in collecting and analyzing the data. Hence the use of the design

3.2 Area of the Study

The study area focused on Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba. Prince Abubakar Audu

University, (Formerly Kogi State University) located at Anyigba, is the state-owned university of

Kogi, Nigeria. It was established in 1999 by Prince Abubakar Audu, the former governor of the

state. At the time of its establishment,it was known as Kogi State University, It was later named

29
Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU) in2002,after the then sitting governor of Kogi State,

who heralded its establishment, and later renamed Kogi State University (KSU) in 2003 by the

former governor Ibrahim Idrisand subsequently renamed as Prince Abubakar Audu University in

2020 by Governor Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello in respect of late Abubakar Audu

3.3 Population of the Study

The population of this study comprised all Chemistry Education undergraduate students of the

faculty of Education, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba. For academic session of

2024/2025

Therefore, the total number of Chemistry education undergraduate students was 609 which

include 230 in 100 level, 96 in 200 level,137 in 300 level and 146 in 400 level making a total

population of 609 (Researcher's finding).

Table 3.3.1: Population distribution of Respondents

S/n Level Population

1 100 230

2 200 96

3 300 137

4 400 146

30
 Total 609

3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique

Random sampling technique was used to select sixty student from each level in the department

of sciences education (chemistry). In all a total 209 undergraduate chemistry education students

from the sample of the study.

3.5 Instrument for Data Collection

The instrument for this study was a modified four points Likert scale structured questionnaire of

S.A (Strongly agree), A (Agree), D (Disagree), and SD (Strongly

Disagree) designed by the researcher to elicit information about the research questions. The

instrument had two section of A and B, section 'A' is the demographic section and section 'B' is

the section that deals with the subject matter from the research questions (See Appendix II).

3.6 Validation of the Instrument

The instrument for data collection was validated by two Science subject experts in the

department of Science Education, Prince Abubakar Audu University so as to ascertain the face

validity of the instrument (See Appendix III.

3.7 Reliability of the Instrument

31
The reliability of the instrument was determined through Cronbach Alpha method which is used

to measure the level of internal constituency of the instrument, the instrument was administered

to twenty five students. The instrument was administered in the school and class selected outside

the set used for the main study. The coefficient gives0.8 (See Appendix III).

3.8 Method of Data Collection

To ensure effective distribution of the questionnaires the researcher employed the use of direct

administration to the sampled population on the influence of social media on the academic

achievement of Chemistry Education students in Prince Abubakar AuduUniversity, Anyigba.

3.9 Method of Data Analysis

The researcher made use of mean and standard deviation in analyzing the data collected from the

respondents. Any factor that is greater than or equal to 2.5 were considered acceptable while

those terms that obtains a mean response of 2.5 were rejected, based on the response of the

respondents

32
 CHAPTER FOUR

PRESENTATION OF RESULT

4.1 Data Presentation

This section deals with the presentation and analysis of data collected from the field. The data on

social characteristics of respondents was analyzed in simple percentage while the research

questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. A total of two hundred and nine

(209) copies of questionnaire were distributed but only 200 were adequately filled and returned.

In this study a mean score of 2.50 and above is the acceptable range while less than 2.50 is the

rejection range.

33
4.2 Data Analysis

Table [Link] Characteristics of Respondents.

Variable Frequency Percentage

Gender

Male 88 44%

Female 56% 112

Total 100% 200

Age

18-20 10 5%

20-22 44 22%

22-24 94 47%

25 and above 52 26%

Total 200 100%

Source: Field Survey, 2025

The table presents demographic data for a sample of 200 respondents, focusing on their gender

and age distribution. In terms of gender composition, the sample shows a slight predominance of

female participants. Specifically, 112 respondents, representing 56% of the total sample, are

female, while 88 respondents, or 44%, are male. This gender distribution indicates a relatively

balanced representation, with a modest tilt towards female participation. Regarding the age

distribution, the sample is divided into four age brackets. The largest age group is 22-24 years

old, comprising nearly half of the respondents at 47% (94 individuals). This suggests that the

sample is primarily composed of young adults, likely in their final years of university or early

career stages. The second most represented age group is 25 years and above, accounting for 26%

of the sample (52respondents). This group might include postgraduate students or young

34
professionals. The 20-22 age bracket follows, making up 22% of the sample (44 respondents),

which could represent undergraduate students in their middle years. The smallest group is the18-

20 year olds, constituting only 5% of the sample (10 respondents), possibly representing first-

year university students or those just entering higher education

Research question 1: What are the types of social media used by Chemistry students in
learning?

Table 2: Types of social media used by students in learning

VARIABLES SA A D SD N X DECISION

[Link] is one of the most common social 129 42 9 20 200 2.74 Accepted

[Link] of the students prefer the use of 64 113 27 11 200 3.03 Accepted

[Link] usage is common among the 94 76 22 8 200 3.28 Accepted

4. Twitter is a social media used by students 73 80 27 20 200 3.03 Accepted

[Link] is a social media used by students 98 44 33 25 200 3.08 Accepted

Source: Field Survey, 2025

This table presents data on social media usage patterns among students, based on survey of 200

respondents. The survey employed a 4-point Likert scale to assess agreement levels with five

statements about different social media platforms. The results indicate widespread use of various

35
social media among students, with all platforms receiving mean scores above 2.5, leading to their

acceptance. Facebook appears to be the most widely adopted social media platform for learning

among students, with a mean score of 3.40 and the highest number of strong agreements. This

suggests that Facebook is a popular choice for educational purposes, possibly due to its features

that facilitate group discussions, file sharing, and event organization. Instagram follows as the

second most common platform used by students for learning, with a mean score of 3.28. This

indicates that visual content and story-sharing features of Instagram are valuable for educational

purposes, perhaps for sharing info graphics, tutorial videos, or creative projects. Interestingly,

WhatsApp and Snapchat tie for the third position with mean scores of 3.08each, though

WhatsApp has a higher number of agreements overall. This suggests that instant messaging and

group chat functions are important for students, likely for quick communication, sharing

resources, and collaborative work. Twitter is the least preferred among the listed platforms for

learning purposes, with a mean score of [Link], it's worth noting that all platforms have

mean scores above3.0, indicating a generally positive attitude towards using various social media

for learning.

Research Question 2: What are Perception of Chemistry students of Prince Abubakar

Table 3: Perception of Chemistry students of Prince Abubakar Audu University on the use
of social media

VARIABLES SA A D SD N X DECISION
1 Facebook makes it easy for students to 105 46 22 27 200 3.15 Accepted
retain the facts and ideas Facebook
2 Social Media improves the academic 78 71 22 29 200 2.99 Accepted
achievement of students of value education
academic achievement

36
 3 Whatsapp makes it easy for students to 69 89 29 13 200 3.07 Accepted
always understand what is being taught
4 Social Media improves the social interaction 69 78 38 15 200 3.01 Accepted
between students and teachers in value
education
5 Social Media enriches learning by giving 84 71 29 16 200 3.12 Accepted
both students and teachers the opportunity to
connect in new and very exciting ways
thereby encouraging flexible mode of learning

Source: Field Survey, 2025

The survey results from 200 Chemistry students at Prince Abubakar Audu University reveal a

generally positive perception of social media's role in their academic lives. All five statements

regarding social media use were accepted, with mean scores ranging from 2.99 to 3.15. Students

particularly value Facebook for retaining facts and ideas (mean score 3.14) and appreciate how

social media enriches learning through new connections and flexible learning modes (3.11).

WhatsApp is seen as beneficial for understanding taught material (3.06), while social media is

also perceived to improve student-teacher interactions (3.00). Although still accepted, the

statement about social media improving academic achievement in value education received the

lowest mean score (2.99), suggesting slightly less certainty about its direct academic impact.

Overall, these findings indicate that students view social media as a valuable tool for information

retention, flexible learning, and enhanced communication in their academic environment,

though they are somewhat less convinced of its direct effect on academic performance.

Research Question 3: What are the influence of social media on the academic achievement
of students in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba?

Table 4: Influence of social media on the academic performance of students in Prince

37
 VARIABLES SA A D SD N X DECISION
1 Social Media makes students exposed to 88 74 20 18 200 3.16 Accepted
wilder life which affects their academic
achievement
2 Facebook makes students expose to immoral 68 88 28 16 200 3.04 Accepted
activities which affects their academic
achievement
3 Whatsapp usage is associated with antisocial 72 90 26 12 200 3.10 Accepted
behaviour that affects students' academic
achievement
4 Majority of the youths prefer the chatting 62 96 22 20 200 3.00 Accepted
activities to their normal academic activities
thus perform poorly in their academics.
5 Telegraph, Whatsapp etc usage lead to theft, 68 88 24 18 200 3.01 Accepted
robbery, stealing, distraction and aggressive
behaviour amongst students

Source: Field Survey, 2025

This table presents data on the perceived influence of social media on the academic achievement

of students at Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba. The results reveal a general

consensus among respondents that social media has significant impacts on students ‘academic

performance, albeit with some negative connotations. The highest mean score of 3.16 indicates

strong agreement that social media exposes students to a wider life, potentially affecting their

academic achievement. This suggests that while social media broadens horizons, it may also

distract from academic pursuits. There's also substantial agreement (mean 3.10) that WhatsApp

usage is associated with antisocial behavior impacting academic performance. Facebook is

perceived to expose students to immoral activities affecting their studies (mean 3.04),

highlighting concerns about content appropriateness. Respondents agree (mean 3.00) that many

young people prioritize social media chatting over academic activities, potentially leading to

poor academic performance. Lastly, there's agreement (mean 3.01) that platforms like Telegram

38
and WhatsApp may contribute to negative behaviors such as theft, robbery, and aggression

among students. Overall, these findings suggest that while social media is significant part of

students' lives, there are prevalent concerns about its potential negative impacts on academic

achievement and behavior. The consistently high mean scores (allabove 3.00) across all variables

indicate a strong perception of social media's influence, predominantly viewed as challenging to

academic success.

4.3 Summary of Findings

1. Facebook is one of the most common social media used by students

2. Majority of the students have positive perception as regards the use of social media.

3. WhatsApp makes it easy for students to always understand what is being taught

4. Social Media makes students exposed to wilder life which affects their academic achievement

4.4 Discussion of Findings

From the first research question which focused on the types of social media used by students in

learning, it was discovered that Facebook is one of the most common social media used by

students, Majority of the students prefer the use of Whatsapp, Instagram usage is common

among the students, Twitter is a social media used by students, SnapChat is a social media used

by students. This finding aligns with Oghogho's (2021) study, which found that "majority of the

respondents were observed touse Facebook as major platform for friendship sociability, with

39
mobile media (feature phone with internet connection and smartphone) as a medium of

constructive sociability behavior."

From the second research question on the perception of students of Prince Abubakar Audu

University on the use of social media, it was discovered that Social Media makes it easy for

students to retain the facts and ideas, Social Media improves the academic achievement of

students of value education, Social Media makes it easy for students to always understand what

is being taught, Social Media improves the social interaction between students and teachers in

value education, Social Media enriches learning by giving both students and teachers the

opportunity to connect in new and very exciting ways thereby encouraging flexible mode of

learning. This finding relates to Catherine and Barry's (2020) study, which revealed that "social

media does not always affect students’ academic achievement negatively but positively." They

recommended that" Lecturers/instructors should channel assignments or discussions on social

media platforms to help inculcate the habit of using these sites for academic work."

Finally, the third research question on the impact of social media on the academic achievement

of students in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, it was discovered that Social Media

makes students exposed to wilder life which affects their academic achievement, Social media

makes students expose to immoral activities which affects their academic achievement, Social

media usage is associated with antisocial behaviour that affects students' academic achievement,

Majority of the youths prefer the social media activities to their normal academic activities thus

perform poorly in their academics, Social Media Usage lead to theft, robbery, stealing,

distraction and aggressive behaviour amongst students. This finding aligns with Omotosho's

(2022) study, which found that "students' usage of social media had a negative influence on their

40
social behaviour." It also relates to Araoye's (2018) research, which showed that many students"

spend most of their time on chatting both in the morning and at night" and "chat while lectures

are ongoing," concluding that "This of course can have negative impact on their academic

achievements."

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary

This study was aimed at investigating the influence of social media on the academic performance

of students in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba". To achieve this objective, three

research questions were formulated in line with the objective. Survey research design was
41
adopted for the study and the population was made up of all social studies undergraduate

students of the faculty of Education, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba. The sample

size consists of respondents from Social Studies students in Prince Abubakar Audu University,

Anyigba. The simple random sampling technique was used for the study. The research

instrument adopted for the study was a questionnaire which was divided into three clusters with

15 items. The findings of the study revealed that Facebook is one of the most common social

media used by students, Majority of the students prefer the use of Whatsapp, Instagram usage is

common among the students, Twitter is a social media used by students, Snap Chat is a social

media used by students.

Also, it was discovered that Social Media makes students exposed to wider life which affects

their academic achievement, Social media makes students expose to immoral activities which

affects their academic achievement, Social media usage is associated with antisocial behaviour

that affects students' academic achievement, Majority of the youths prefer the social media

activities to their normal academic activities thus perform poorly in their academics, Social

Media Usage lead to theft, robbery, stealing, distraction and aggressive behavior amongst

students.

5.2 Conclusion

Social media is a two edged sword that has the capacity to be a source where students can obtain

information that will improve their academic achievement on the one hand and it can also

42
thoroughly be a source of distraction data will be areas on of student's failure academically. It

has been revealed in the findings of the study that, despite the fact that there is to some extent

addiction and distraction of attention caused by the excessive use of social media which could

have serious consequences on the academic life of students, the benefits that students can harness

from social media networks such as sharing of information, partaking in group discussions, the

use of social media in the class room to learn new information, doing assignments and their

teachers encouraging them to use social media to study has improved their academic grades.

Academic advancement is the primary goal of the higher education experience. If this is

achieved or not as a result of social media usage, then there is need for further study on this

important issue. There is need to further look into how social media affect the students ‘physical

health, social behavior, and privacy.

5.3 Educational Implication of the study

Social media has changed the world system and the way social structures work of which the

education system is not and cannot be exempted. Teaching and learning the world over has been

influenced by social media and the Nigerian education sector cannot afford to be different. If we

leverage the incredible opportunity that social media usage presents, and develop a positive

outlook towards social media learning, schools will reduce the propensity of raising a generation

that will only draw out knowledge, and start raising those who contribute from a well-grounded,

informed position. This will require coordination between education curriculum planners and

school managers with a level of contribution from students.

5.4 Recommendations

43
1. Channeling assignments or discussions on the most used social media platforms such as

Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp should be made compulsory by the university management.

2. Deans or heads of departments should organize seminars to further enlighten and encourage

lecturers and students to continue the use of social media platforms for better academic

achievement.

3. Students should minimize the time spend on social media for chatting and use social media

more for academic activities by adhering strictly to their study time table.

4. Lecturers should monitor students on the usage of social media by directing students to put off

their gargets when lecture is on.

5.5 Suggestions for Further Studies

The study examines the influence of social Media on the academic performance of students in

Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba. This study suggests that further studies should be

carried out on effect of social Media on the academic achievement of students. Further, the same

study can also be carried out in other higher institutions in Nigeria.

3. Students should minimize the time spend on social media for chatting and use social media

more for academic activities by adhering strictly to their study time table.

4. Lecturers should monitor students on the usage of social media by directing students to put off

their gargets when lecture is on.

5.5 Suggestions for Further Studies

44
The study examines the influence of social Media on the academic performance of students in

Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba. This study suggests that further studies should be

carried out on effect of social Media on the academic achievement of students. Further, the same

study can also be carried out in other higher institutions in Nigeria.

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APPENDIX A

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
48
 Faculty of Education,

Prince Abubakar Audu University,

P.O. Box 1008,

Anyigba,

Kogi State

March, 2025

Dear Respondents

INTRODUCTION LETTER

I am a final year student of the above named institution conducting a study on" Influence of
social media on the academic achievement of Chemistry Education students in Prince Abubakar
Audu University, Anyigba" as part of the requirement for the award of Bachelor of Science
degree in Education ([Link] Ed).

The exercise is strictly meant for an academic purpose and all inputs and information supplied
shall be treated with utmost degree of confidentiality.

Thank you in anticipation of your maximum co-operation.

Yours faithfully,

APPENDIX B

DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

49
SECTION A: This section deals with personal information about the respondents.

1. Gender of Respondent: Male ( ) Female ( )

2. Age range: a. 18-20 ( ) b.20-22( ) c.22-24 ( ) d.25 and above ( )

SECTION B:

INSTRUCTION: Kindly tick your response in the appropriate column.

SD-Strongly Disagree

D-Disagree A-Agree

SA-Strongly Agree

Cluster One: Types of Social Media a Platform used by Chemistry Education Students in
Learning in PAAU.

S/N Items SA A D SD

1 Facebook is one of the most it common social media used by students

2 Majority of the students prefer the use of Whatsapp

3 Instagram usage is common among the students

4 Twitter is a social media used by students

5 Snap Chat is a social media used by students

Cluster two: Level of Students use Social Medias Platform in Prince Abubakar Audu

University Anyigba

50
 S/ Items SA A D SD
N

6 Facebook makes it easy for students to retain the facts and ideas
Facebook

7 Social Media improves the academic achievement of students of value

8 Whatsapp makes it easy for students to always understand what is being

9 Social Media improves the social interaction between students and

10 Social Media enriches learning by giving both students and teachers the
opportunity to connect in new and very exciting ways thereby
encouraging flexible mode of learning

Cluster Three Influence of Social Media Platform on the Academic Performance of

Students in chemistry in Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba.

S/ Items SA A D SD
N

11 Social Media makes students exposed to wilder life which affects their
academic achievement

12 Facebook makes students expose to immoral activities which affects

13 Whatsapp usage is associated with antisocial behaviour that affects

14 Majority of the youths prefer the chatting activities to their normal

15 Telegraph, Whatsapp etc usage lead to theft, robbery, stealing,

51