the influence that social media has on the academic performance of students schooling at the College of Applied Sciences

The primary goal of this research is to look at the impact of social media on the academic performance of students at the College of Applied Sciences in Salalah, Oman. The conclusions of this study are led by four research questions. It employs a descriptive research design. Therefore, it is recommended that social media sites be used strictly for their intended purposes. Furthermore, it is advised that social media be enlarged so that it can be used for academic reasons. Nonetheless, kids should use caution when accessing such sites. Therefore, both teachers and parents should take the initiative of making sure those students properly use these sites. It is aimed at striking a balance between social media and academic performance.

Chapter 0.1.

Introduction

Introduction

In the contemporary world, there is the widespread use of the information technology. As such, the world has now been turned into a global village. However, it comes not only with positive things but there are also negative aspects that are closely associated with it. On the contrary, it has helped to enlighten people as well as make them more informed. Thus, technology has greatly affected most students in the College of Applied Sciences, Salalah City, Oman. This influence typically comes from different social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (Blankenship, 2011). Although these sites are considered as valuable resources, most of them have been associated with negative effects. For instance, most students spend their time on these platforms making new friends instead on concentrating on their studies (Gikas & Grant, 2013). This study included 120 students where 70 were males while 50 were females.

The Statement of the Problem

Recently, many higher learning institutions have experienced numerous challenges due to the widespread use of information technology. Most students have recorded the dismal performance in their classwork, thus raising many questions on the quality of education (Junco, Heiberger & Loken, 2011). Research shows that there is the connection between the academic work and the amount of time spent in social media. The drop in performance is due to constant inappropriate use of different social media platforms. Therefore, this study is being conducted to identify some of the trending issues that are affecting the educational process of students in the College of Applied Sciences, Salalah city, Oman.

The Objective of the Study

The primary aim of this study is to examine the influence that various social media platforms have, especially on students schooling at the College of Applied Sciences, Salalah City, Oman. Therefore, the researcher is going to examine the level of addictiveness to a variety of social media platforms. As such, it will be possible to determine the influence of these sites on the academic performance. This research also seeks to identify the particular social media in which students spend most of their time instead of concentrating on their studies. Moreover, the researcher aims to observe how a specific social media platform affects the academic performance of students in the College of Applied Sciences, Salalah City, Oman

The Significance of the Study

This research is significant to all stakeholders in the education sector including teachers, parents, and students. Specifically, this study will be of the great benefit to teachers since they will be able to know how social media affects the performance of their students. It will help them to find alternative ways of creating the awareness as well as enlightening learners (Tess, 2013). Parents will also have the opportunity to know the effect of social media on their children. It will assist them in devising rules to govern the manner in which their offsprings are supposed to use the social media. Besides, students will be able to know how social media affects their academic performance. Afterwards, they will be able to utilize such platforms responsibly.

The Scope of Study

The scope of this survey will only be limited to students in the College of Applied Sciences, Salalah City, Oman. Thus, this research will be able to demonstrate how social media affects their performance.

Definitions of Terms

Social media - refers to an electronic communication platform that allows people to interact with each other. Social media can be accessed via a website or through the use of mobile technology.

Social networking sites - refers to an electronic communications media that allows people to post their personal information as well as share them privately or publicly.

Students - in this case, the study refers to someone who is enrolled in the College of Applied Sciences, Salalah City, Oman.

ICT - refers to Information and Communication Technology.

1.9. Research Organization

The first chapter primarily will focus on the structure of the research. Section two will consider the literature review concerning the way social media affects the academic performance of students in higher learning institutions. Chapter three of this research will concentrate on the research methodology that includes research design, a population of the study, and the sampling techniques. Lastly, chapter five will involve conclusions and recommendations.

References

Blankenship, M. (2011). How social media can and should impact higher education. The Education Digest, 76(7), 39.

Gikas, J., & Grant, M. M. (2013). Mobile computing devices in higher education: Student perspectives on learning with cellphones, smartphones & social media. The Internet and Higher Education, 19, 18-26.

Junco, R., Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(2), 119-132.

Tess, P. A. (2013). The role of social media in higher education classes (real and virtual) – A literature review. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(5), A60-A68.