Social Media in Education: The Relationship Between Past Use and Current Perceptions

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between prior use of social media in education and the perception of social media use in education and for future careers. College agriculture students and instructors were surveyed to address the objectives. The descriptive measures showed that instructors had more positive perceptions of social media than students, though neither group was in favor of social media in education in general. Prior use of social media in education was positively correlated with more positive perceptions of social media in education, with the relationship being stronger for instructors than students. The results indicate prior use could be a prerequisite for improving perceptions of social media in education. It was recommended instructors be aware of the discrepant views of social media in education that students hold when introducing social media into classes to help navigate potential conflicts as effectively as possible. Instructors should also be aware that the relationship between prior use and perceptions of social media is not as strong between different social media types. Further research is needed to better understand the direction of the relationship between prior use and perceptions. Experimental or quasi-experimental designs could address this area of research.