The
study examined the influence of social networking on students’ academic
performance in Economics in Secondary Schools in Ezza North Local Government
Area. The Specific purposes were set to ascertain the influence of social
networking sites on students’ reading habit in Economics, to determine the
influence of social networking sites on students’ knowledge of Economics and to
determine the influence of social networking on students’ academic performance
in Economics. Three research questions were formulated in line with the
research purposes. The descriptive survey design was adopted. The population of
study consisted of the 230 teachers of the 12 government secondary schools in
Ezza North Local Government Area. A sample of 180 teachers was selected using
the simple random sampling technique. Instrument for data collection was the
questionnaire. The instrument for data analysis was the mean and standard
deviation. The findings of the study showed that social networking influence
students’ reading habit in Economics in secondary schools in Ezza North Local
Government Area. Social networking influence students’ knowledge of Economics
in secondary schools in Ezza North Local Government Area. Social networking
influence students’ examination scores in Economics in secondary schools in
Ezza North Local Government Area. From the findings, it was recommended that teachers
should monitor the students’ works diligently and encourage students to read
harder, interactive social networks should be properly monitored for teaching
and learning and that schools should ban students’ use of social networking
gadgets during school hours.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE i
APPROVAL 1
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
TABLE
OF CONTENTS vi
LIST OF TABLES viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 6
1.3 Purpose of the Study 7
1.4 Significance of the Study 7
1.5 Scope of the Study 8
1.6 Research Questions 8
CHAPTER
TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 9
2.0 Conceptual
Framework 9
Ø
Concept of
Social networking 9
Ø Academic
performance
Ø Influence
of Social Media on Students’ Reading Habit
Ø Social
Networking Sites used by students
Ø Social
Networking and Students’ Knowledge of Economics
Ø Social
Networking and Student’s Examination Scores
Ø Social
Networking and Students’ Academic Performance
2.2 Theoretical
Framework 25
2.3 Empirical
Review Literature 26
2.4 Summary of
Literature Reviewed 30
CHAPTER
THREE: METHODOLOGY 32
3.1 Research
Design 32
3.2 Area of
the Study 32
3.3 Population
of the Study 32
3.4 Sample
and Sampling Techniques 33
3.5 Instrument
for Data Collection 33
3.6 Validation
of Instrument 33
3.7 Method of
Data Collection 34
3.8 Method
of Data Analysis 34
CHAPTER
FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS 35
4.1 Summary
of Findings 38
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, SUMMARY AND
CONCLUSION 39
5.1 Discussion
of Findings 39
5.2 Implication
of the Study 41
5.3 Summary 42
5.4 Conclusion 43
5.5 Recommendations 43
5.6 Suggestion
for further studies 43
REFERENCE 45
APPENDIX 51
Table 1: Mean rating of the respondents on how social
networking could influence students’ reading habit in Economics
in secondary schools in Ezza North Local
Government Area. 35
Table 2: Mean rating of the respondents on how social
networking could influence
students’ knowledge in Economics in secondary schools. 36
Table 3: Mean rating of the respondents on how social
networking could influence students’ knowledge in Economics.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Robbins (1932) in his
scarcity definition of Economics sees economics as a science which studies
human behavior as a relationship between ends and scarce means which has
alternative uses. Smith (1776) offered a classical definition of economics when
he described economics in terms of “wealth”. Smith, the great Scottish
economist following the mercantilist tradition viewed economics in terms of
“inquiry into nature and causes of the wealth of a nation”. Another great
economist, Marshall (1890) offered a welfare definition of economics when he
deviated from the classical view and opined that economics is the study of men
in the ordinary business of life. The researcher sees economics as the rational
allocation of scarce resources to satisfy human wants. The present study seeks
to examine the role of social networking sites on students’ academic
performance in economics as a discipline.
In the last decade, the
online world has changed dramatically; young men and women now exchange ideas,
feelings, personal information, pictures and videos at a truly astonishing
rate. According to Oberst (2010) Seventy-three percent of wired American teens
now use social media websites. Martins (2008) and Lusk (2010) share the same
concept of social media. To them social media is the use of Facebook, Blogs,
Twitter, My Space and LinkedIn for the purpose of communication and sharing of
photos as well as videos. In Nigeria, Adeboye (2012) and Asemah and Edegoh
(2012) view social network as a social structure made up of individuals or
organizations called “nodes”, which are tied (connected) by one or more
specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common
interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships or relationships of
beliefs, knowledge or prestige. Social network can also be referred to as a map
of specified ties, such as friendship, between these nodes. For the purpose of
this study, social network, used interchangeably as social media is captured
within the use of internet through Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Skype, MySpace
as well as Yahoo Messenger for communication sharing of ideas, sharing of
photos and videos by users. The increased use of Social Networking Websites has
become an international phenomenon in the past several years. What started as a
hobby for some computer literate people has become a social norm and way of
life for people from all over the world. According to Boyd (2007), Teenagers
and young adults have especially embraced these social networking sites as a
way to connect with their peers, share information, reinvent their
personalities, and showcase their social lives.
Most of the members of
these social network sites are young people who are still in school. Al-Rahma
and Othman (2013) asserts that there is no doubt that social media has gained
wider acceptability and usability and is also becoming the most important
communication tools among students. A large percentage of teenagers in Nigeria
spend their time online either using smart phones or their computers and other
handheld gadgets such as ipads and tablets browsing these social networking
sites. Students in all levels of education seize every opportunity they get to
access social networking sites to check on status on Facebook and what is
trending on Twitter. Teenagers have learnt to multitask as they switch from one
Social networking site to another.
The world today
celebrates the improvement in communication technology which has broadened the
scope of communication through Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs). Ufuophu and Ayobami (2012) observe that the ICTs include internet,
satellite, cable data transmission and computer assisted equipment. Social
network is a social structure made up of individuals or organizations called
“nodes”, which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types of
interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial
exchange, dislikes, sexual relationships or religious beliefs.
Boyd and Ellison (2007)
views Social networking sites as web-based services that allows individuals to
construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a
list of other users with whom they share a connection, and view and traverse
their list of connections and those made by others within the system. Social
networking sites include: Yahoo Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Blackberry
Messenger (BBM), Google talk, Google +Messenger, iPhone, Androids and so on.
These networking sites are used by most people to interact with old and new
friends and physical or internet friends. Martins (2008) suggests that social
media refers to Facebook, YouTube, Blogs, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn. He
maintains that among these, Facebook is the most used social network by college
students, followed by YouTube and Twitter.
Stollak,
Vandenberg, Burklund, and Weiss (2011) notes that Social networking among
secondary school students has become more and more popular, over the years,
because it is a way to make connections between friends within and outside the
school. Due to this popularity, people begin to ask questions whether the
performance of students are being affected by how much time students spent on
various sites of social networking. Social networking became popular from the
year 2005, after Facebook and other social networking sites were created. The
most successful and largest social networking site is the Facebook which
comprises more than 500 million active members in July, 2010. Its members are
multiplying greatly with each day passing.
The expansion in
technology has also affected internet software, thus leading to chatting sites
known by the name “social media”. With social networking sites, one can send
and receive messages almost immediately. However, lack of regulation of the
internet has led to its excessive use. McQuail (2008) states that the internet
penetrates more homes. It is a common sight to see a youth chatting in
sensitive and highly organized places like church, mosque and lecture venues.
Some are so carried away that even as they are walking along the high way, they
keep chatting.
The manufacturing and
distribution of equally sophisticated cellular phones has complicated the
situation, as youths no longer need to visit a cybercafé before they send and
receive messages. Attention has been shifted from visible to invisible friends,
while important ventures like study and writing are affected in the process.
This phenomenon has become a source of worry to many who believe in knowledge
and skill acquisition which led to a shift in attention from the use of social
networking sites to its influence on students’ academic performance.
Tuckman (1975) defined
performance as the apparent demonstration of understanding, concepts, skills,
ideas and knowledge of a person and proposed that grades clearly depict the
academic performance of a student. Hence, their academic performance must be managed
efficiently keeping in view all the factors that can positively or negatively
affect their educational performance. Use of technology such as internet is one
of the most important factors that can influence educational performance of
students positively or adversely. Shah (2011) proposed that student users are
affected by the internet and this impact is determined by the type of internet
usage. There are certain factors that influence the relationship between social
media and academic performance such as how long students use social networking
sites and the time of the day they use these sites the most. A handful of
studies have discussed the relationship between these variables internationally
as well as in Nigeria.
A research done by Madge,
Meek, Wellens and Hooley (2009) shows negative relationship between Facebook
and the academic performance of students. However, the study didn’t focus on
which students were using Facebook and what time of the day they used it the
most. Moreover, the sample used for the study was homogenous thereby
restricting their research findings. Whereas according to Pasek, More and
Hargittai (2009) the use of Facebook has a positive relationship with academic
performance. According to their research, the students with higher grades tend
to spend more of their time on Facebook. On the other hand, Paul, Baker and
Cochran (2012) suggested that a negative relationship exists between time spent
by students on social networking sites and their academic achievements. These
inconsistencies amongst researchers has deemed it fit that the present study
contribute to the body of literature by examining the influence of social
networking on students’ academic performance in economics in secondary schools
in Ezza North Local Government Area.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The rapid advancement of media technology has great
impact on the way people communicate on daily basis. The growing dimension of
the use of social media among youth today cannot be over emphasized. Over the
years, social networking among students has become more and more popular. It is
a way to make connections, not only on campus but with friends outside of
school. Social networking is a way that helps people feel they belong to a
community but due to the increased popularity of the social networking sites,
academicians are however questioning whether grades of students will not be
affected by their use of these sites.
Jacobsen and
Forste, (2011), MehMood and Taswir, (2013), believed that the use of technology
such as internet is one of the most important factors that can influence
educational performance of students positively or adversely. Many parents and
guardians are worried that students are spending too much time on Facebook and
other social media sites and have not enough time to study. Though parents are
worried about students’ constant use of the social media sites, many students
continue to utilize these sites on a daily basis. It is against this background
that this research is being conducted to ascertain the influence of social
networking on students’ academic performance in economics.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of the study is to examine the
influence of social networking on students’ academic performance in Economics
in Secondary Schools in Ezza North Local Government Area.
The
Specific purposes of the study are:
1. To
ascertain the influence of social networking sites on students’ reading habit
in Economics in secondary schools in Ezza North Local Government Area.
2. To
determine the influence of social networking sites on students’ knowledge of
Economics in secondary schools in Ezza North Local Government Area.
3. To
determine the influence of social networking sites on students’ examination
scores in Economics in secondary schools in Ezza North Local Government Area.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The findings of the study will be of immense benefit
to school authorities, parents, the researcher and future researchers.
The
school authorities: the findings of the study will be of great benefit to secondary
school authorities because it will enlighten them on the need to properly
regulate the students’ use of internet gadgets and social networking sites in
the school.
The
parents: the findings of the study will as well enlighten the parents to
monitor their children and regulate their use of social networking sites at
home.
The
Researcher: this study will widen the academic horizon and intellectual
capacity of the researcher.
Future
Researchers: This study when completed, will serve as a guide to researchers
who may wish to conduct a study on this topic or similar topics in future.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The study examines the influence of social networking
on students’ academic performance in Economics in Secondary Schools in Ezza
North Local Government Area. The content scope is social networking and
students’ academic performance. The geographical scope is Ezza North Local
Government Area.
1.6 Research Questions
The
following research questions were formulated to guide the study:
1. How
do social networking sites influence students’ reading habit in Economics in
secondary schools in Ezza North Local Government Area?
2. How
do using social networking sites influence students’ knowledge of Economics in
secondary schools in Ezza North Local Government Area?
3. How
does use of social networking sites influence students’ academic examination
scores in Economics in secondary schools in Ezza North Local Government Area?
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