INFLUENCE OF THE USAGE OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF STUDENTS IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

Stephen A Igboke,Patricia Akwaya Olom

doi:10.46827/ejes.v8i7.3822

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of the usage of social networking sites on academic performance of students in Entrepreneurship Education. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population consisted of 120 students (60 males and 60 females) from University of Calabar in Nigeria. A questionnaire with a-4-point rating scale was used to elicit responses from the respondents. The instrument was tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha, and it yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.89. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and t-test to test the hypotheses at a confidence level of 0.05. The findings from the study revealed that the motives of students using social networking sites include: connecting with family and friends; searching for new friends; online news; entertainments; information sharing, chatting, downloading music and movies and searching for study materials. It was also found that the usage of social networking sites had strong positive influence on the students. Similarly, the test of hypotheses indicates that there is significant difference in the motive of using Social Networking Sites (SNSs) by male and female students in Entrepreneurship Education. Besides, it was found that there is a significant difference in the opinion of male and female respondents on the influence of social networking sites usage on the academic performance of male and female students in Entrepreneurship Education. The implication of the study is that social networking sites could be used as educational resource in order to improve academic performance of both male and female students. However, usage of the networking sites may also influence academic performance negatively. Teachers and counselors need to particularly take notice of this for necessary remedial actions. Based on the findings, it was recommended that Universities and lectures in particular should adopt the usage of social networking sites to enhance teaching and learning in Entrepreneurship Education and other related disciplines. Article visualizations:<img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0789/a.php" alt="Hit counter" />

Highlights

Governments world over have been making frantic efforts to create jobs for its citizens as a way of reducing unemployment and poverty
Khurana (2015) observed that males’ users are more in number compared to female users; and that male users generally derived knowledge based information from these sites. These findings presented here are all subject to further empirical investigation in order to ascertain the influence of the use of social networking sites on the academic performance of students in Entrepreneurship Education
There is no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female students on the influence of the usage of social networking sites on academic performance of Entrepreneurship Education

Summary

Introduction

Governments world over have been making frantic efforts to create jobs for its citizens as a way of reducing unemployment and poverty. In Nigeria, the efforts to create job, reduce unemployment and poverty are witnessed in the introduction of entrepreneurship education into the academic curriculum. Entrepreneurship is a creative and innovative way of transforming ideas into productive ventures, value creation and addition, in order to satisfy the needs of others, and become successful as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship involves the ability to develop a positive attitude and belief towards risk taking, making rational judgment based on experience and knowledge acquired and efficient utilization of advantage skills in order to be successful in any given field in life. Advantage skills here imply the skills that give one an advantage over another These skills can be developed through education and training. Donckels and Kantor in Vakili et al (2016) shared in the sentiment that individuals’ entrepreneurial thinking can be enhanced through education

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Discussion

Conclusion