UC G C AR E

INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON ACADEMIC

APPROVED
ACHIEVEMENT OF STUDENTS OF THE CENTRAL
UNIVERSITY OF PUNJAB
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research study is to examine the influence of Social Media on Academic Achievement
of the students of the Central University of Punjab. To achieve this, the descriptive survey research design
was adopted. The Stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 100 students. Research
findings showed that a great number of students in Central University of Punjab, are addicted to social
media. The findings revealed that social media has a positive effect on the academic achievement of post-
graduate students because the educational sites and study material on the internet helped the student to
perform better in academics. The study also revealed that there is no significant difference in usage of social
media between the science and humanities students. It was found that both science and humanity students use
social media equally and there is a significant difference in the usage of social media among boys and girls
students and it was observed that the usage of social media in boys is higher than the girls.

Introduction student’s need, getting feedback from an expert teacher.

The twenty-first century is the world of technology IncorporatingFacebook into university courses provided
where most of the people do not even imagine their life students with opportunities tointeract with people within and
without technology. Modern Technology in communication beyond peripheries of a classroom, but abuse of Facebook
has no doubt turned the complete world into a “Global as a form of instruction is time-intensive for both faculty
Community.” It helps individuals to be better learned, open- and students (Barczyk and Duncan, 2013). But most of
minded and keeping informed with global growths. the educational institutions do not allow their students to
Technology discloses humanity to a better way of doing use mobile because they think that by using such type of
things. Even our today’s day starts with alarm in mobile technology student’s may become addicted to technology
phone and ends with what’s app messages on the smart and do less participate in face to face interaction with parents,
phone, this situation is prevailing even in most of the rural teachers and their colleagues which play the crucial part in
areas. It can be interpreted that half of all youngsters who improvement in social skills. Spending time on Social
have Internet access are also the members of social Networking Sites has many aspects, one aspect is that
networking sites, and use the web to make procedures and University students spend more than one hour on Facebook
socialize with friends (Kist, 2008). for nonacademic purposes and the academic use of
Using technology in the classroom has two sides same Facebook is very limited Alhazmi and Rahman (2013). In
as coins, both positive as well as negative. today’s era, we find that young students always engage with
their technology toys, even most of the road accidents due
The excessive usage of the social media websites
to the using of the mobile phone during their travelling.
could have an addiction especially amongst thestudents,
Students can learn about different cultures and societies by
and it can cause problems in the academics Akhtar (2013).
connecting with people in other countries. The social media
Most of the schools give more importance to computer
education and in using of mobile learning app because of
Shazia Kouser
using this technology in today’s classroom helps in student
Research Scholar, School of Education, Central
engagement, active learning, working at the pace of the
University of Gujarat.

Research and Reflections on Education ISSN 0974 - 648 X Vol. 18 No. 02B August 2020 2
have made it possible for like-minded individuals to discuss on academic performance could arise UC G C AR E
important topics, widen their personal knowledge and the results pointed to negative impact A P P R O V E D
discover things they never knew before. The young people of online social media usage on
are actively involved in public affairs since social media have academic performance; hence, as time spent on social
provided new opportunities for active participation of networking sites increases, the academic performance of
people (Barker, 2009). Social networking users face severe the students is seen to decline.
health risk because they reduce face-to face contact and Significance of the study
become addicted in a virtual world of relationships. People
Social media play a crucial and important role in
spent hours chatting with their friends and browsing profiles
every student’s life. It is easier and convenient to access
on social networking sites. It becomes a compulsive habit
information and to provide information and communicate
to visit own profile several times in a day for checking
via social media.Online tools such as social media provides
friends? updates, changing status, and commenting on others
new opportunities for citizens and stakeholder groups to
photos and videos. With regard to access the time spent on
be informed, identify common interests, express and share
Social Media platforms that can affect the grades of the
opinions and demands, organize, and coordinate
students, there is no link of how much times a student spends
interventions. Teaching learning practices are evolving day
on social media platforms that can affect the grades directly
by day in higher education with emphasis being shifted to
or indirectly (Martin, 2009). The same result was supported
student centric learning. Various efforts are being put into
by one another study that was carried out by University of
practice to use social media to harness effective learning.
New Hampshire in the year 2010.
As younger generations are using such technology in the
Social networking site that once was thought to be classrooms, they remark the educational landscape.For
helping people across the world to unite and making new learning and teaching, social media is used in a variety of
relationship can also damage the relationship and make life different contexts - language learning, writing development,
miserable (Das and Sahoo, 2011). With regard to linking after-class discussion, synchronous and asynchronous
Social Media with the academic achievement, It has been communi¬cation, community building and curricular tool.In
found that there is no relationship among social media and the recent years academics have been expanding their social
students? academic performance (Ahmed and Qazi, 2011, media usage to offer after-hours support for students, deliver
Hanqittai and Hsich, 2010, Pasekand Hanqittai, 2009). and host lectures, dis¬seminate information and engage in
Social media and networking sites have become the discussion. The use of social media has also demonstrated
main way to communicate, share ideas, play games and increased teacher-student and stu¬dent-student interaction.
find information directly. These sites have become so popular With social media, students also become adept at the use
that even the most intelligent students spend their free time of online technologies in learning environments. Use of social
without thinking about its negative impact. Social media has media in higher educa¬tion has enhanced learning, increased
become gradually popular among students but it is negatively participation and engage¬ment, improved content
affecting students educationally because they are placing dissemina¬tion and improved pedagogy and information
less importance on grades and are missing out on critical sharing.In a related study, Ricoy&Feliz (2016) concluded
knowledge and skills needed for higher education or future that twitter promoted a pleasant and motivating climate to
jobs and carriers. According to Roberts andFoehr (2008), students and helped students to improve their reflective,
time spent by students on social networking sites is the same critical judgment and information selection skills.
time that they usually uses for extracurricular activities and Balakrishnan (2014) assessed the use of Facebook, Twitter,
consequently they are not able to devote time for extra- and YouTube in which it is reflected that these sites led to
curricular activities. Although Social networking sites are establishment of improved communication among students
very helpful tool in students? hands, it was found by several and lecturers leading to a better teaching and learning
studies that a negative impact of social network sites usage environment. While many researchers support the usefulness

Research and Reflections on Education ISSN 0974 - 648 X Vol. 18 No. 02B August 2020 3
of social media handles and many among them are those of Punjab was developed by the UC G C AR E
who brings forward the negative aspects of these platforms. investigator. APPROVED
So it becomes an important aspect to study the effect of
these websites on the academic achievement of the students. Table 1
Item wise criteria of the questionnaire on
Objectives of the study social media
1. To determine the influence of student addictiveness
Total number
to social media. Criteria
of Questions
2. To explore the differences in the usage of social media Students addictiveness to social
10
among science and humanities students of Central network and academic performance
University of Punjab. Usage of social media and student’s
10
academic performance
3. To determine the differences between the boys and
Gender usage of social media 4
girls students usage of social media network in relation
to academic achievement
Table 2
Hypotheses Scoring Procedure
1. There is no significant relationship between student’s Scores of Scores of
addictiveness to social media and academic S.
Response Positive Negative
No.
achievement. Items Items
2. There is no significant difference between science and 1 Strongly Agree 5 1
humanities stream students of Central university of 2 Agree 4 2
Punjabin the usage of social media. 3 Undecided 3 3
3. There is no significant difference between male and 4 Disagree 2 4
female students of Central university of Punjab in the 5 Strongly Disagree 1 5
usage of social media. Analysis of Data
Methodology Table 3
Research Method Coefficient of Correlation between social media and
Descriptive Survey method has been used for the academic achievement of PG students of Central
present study entitled “Influence of social media on University of Punjab
Academic Achievement of the students of the Central
University of Punjab’’ Ramark at 5%
Group N ‘γ’ value
level
Population and sample
Social media 50
For the Present study the investigator used the
Academic 0.82 Positively correlated
stratifiedrandom sampling technique for collection of data. 50
achievement
The data was collected from the Central University of
Punjab, Bathinda. A total sample size of 100 students were Table 3 shows the coefficient of correlation between
randomly selected, as the sample is subdivided into different social media andacademic achievement of post-graduate
strata’s i.e. of Science and Humanities and further it can be students of Central University of Punjab. From the table 3
divided into boys and girls. it is clear that coefficient of correlation between addictiveness
Tools of social media network and academic achievement has
been found to be 0.82 which is strongly and positively
Self-made Questionnaire on Influence of Social media
correlated. So, it can be interpreted that there is significant
on academic achievement of students of Central University
Research and Reflections on Education ISSN 0974 - 648 X Vol. 18 No. 02B August 2020 4
positive relationship between social media addictiveness and Findings of the study UC G C AR E
academic achievement of post-graduate students. The major findings of the study are: A P P R O V E D
Therefore, the null hypothesis1 is rejected at 0.05 level.
1. There was significant positive relationship
Table 4 between addictiveness to social media and academic
Mean, S.D and ‘t’ value of science and humanities achievement of post-graduate studentsof CUPB. The
students’ score of social media scale findings reveal that social media have positive effect
Calculated Remark at on the academic achievement of post-graduate
Category N Mean S.D
‘t’ value 5% level students because the educational sites and study
Science 50 86.3 8.853 material on the internet help thestudent to perform better
Non
0.298 in academics
Humanities 50 85.74 9.899 significant
2. There was no significant difference in usage of social
Table 4 shows that the mean score of science stream media between the science and humanities students of
respondents was 86.30 and the humanities stream central university of Punjab, Bathinda. It was found
respondents was 85.74. The standard deviation of science that both science and humanity Students use social
students was 8.853 and the humanities students was 9.899. media equally.
The difference between mean was 0.560 and it was in favour
3. There was a significant difference in the usage of social
of science students. The calculated ‘t’ value was 0.298 is
media among male and female students of central
less than the table 1.96 at 0.05level of significance. Hence
university of Punjab, Bathinda. From the mean
the null hypothesis is accepted which means there is no
difference it is evident that the usage of social media
significant difference in usage of social media between the
among male are higher than the female students.
science and humanities stream students of central university
of Punjab, Bathinda. Conclusion
Table 5 Social media has now become a very crucial part of
Mean, S.D and ‘t’-value of male and female our personal and professional life. The growth of social
students score of social media scale media over the years has transformed how most users
experience the internet. There have been diverse reactions
Calculated Remark at from academics and researchers on the impact of social
Category N Mean S.D
‘t’ value 5% level networks and how they affect academic performance.
Boys 50 88.38 10 Hence, their academic performance must be managed well
2.597 Significant keeping in view all the factors that can positively or negatively
Girls 50 83.66 8.05
affect their academic achievement. The students who are
Table 5 shows that the mean score of male and female using the social media need to be monitored about their
respondents. It is clear from the table that the mean value usage of these websites. Despite the fact that the Universities
of male respondents is 88.38 and for female respondents is are banning the surfing of these websites in their campuses
83.66. The standard deviation of male students was 10.019 still there is a need to ban the third party software’s which
and the female students were 8.050. The difference between help students to access these websites.
mean was 4.720 and it is in favor of male students. The
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