Does Facebook intensity matter for academic self-efficacy? A path analytic approach

Abstract

There is mixed evidence about the educational impacts of Facebook with some research indicating how using Facebook facilitates academic outcomes while other investigations showing the link of Facebook usage to maladaptive educational outcomes such as reduced academic self-efficacy and performance. Prior studies also paid much attention to the academic-related consequences of this social networking in Western societies such as the United States which might have limited generalizability to students from non-Western countries. This study contributes to this line evidence by exploring whether Facebook use intensity dimensions would predict academic self-efficacy and study habits in selected Filipino undergraduate students using a path analytic approach. A survey packet comprising questionnaires about Facebook use and academic self-efficacy was administered to 566 Filipino undergraduate students. Results of path analysis via full maximum likelihood estimation approach demonstrated that whereas self-expression positively predicted academic self-efficacy, overuse negatively predicted this outcome. Boredom positively predicted study habits. This research has implications for understanding how different motives of using social media platforms can influence academic behaviors in higher education contexts.