Factors Influencing the Academic Use of Social Network Sties among University Instructors: A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

Social network sites have had a tremendous impact on the social, economic and scientific aspects of human life. Although the emergence of social network sites was intended for purely social purposes, they have had a significant effect on university life. This research aimed to understand the factors influencing the academic use of social network sites by university faculty. A qualitative research method was used, where 19 interviews were conducted. The data was thematically analysed using the NVivo software. The findings showed a number of encouraging and hindering factors. The encouraging factors included professional development, teaching improvement, expansion of academic networks, building and making one’s digital identity public, helping others, the speed of communication, access to information and the preservation of important information. The hindering factors included believing that it is a waste of time, fear of cyberbullying and reputational damage, lack of academic self-confidence and lack of interest in helping others. There were also some strong links between a number of the encouraging and hindering factors. The implications of the study findings could be applied to training workshops and seminars which are aimed at improving faculty members’ skills in the academic use of social network sites.