INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE ON THE ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA, ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the influence of social media usage on the academic self-efficacy of undergraduate students in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The population comprised 5,402 regular 200- and 300-level students drawn from five faculties of the university, from which a sample of 300 students (150 at each level) were selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured instrument, the Social Media and Academic Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SMASEQ), whose face and content validity were established by experts in Educational Foundations and in Measurement and Evaluation, and whose reliability was determined through a pilot test analyzed with Cronbach's alpha, yielded a coefficient of 0.83. Data were analyzed using mean scores and simple percentages, benchmarked against a criterion mean of 2.50, to answer four research questions. The results showed that undergraduate students engage extensively with social media but do not generally regard it as helpful for academic challenges, using it mainly to socialize rather than to study. However, social media platforms, particularly WhatsApp and YouTube, were perceived as capable of enhancing academic self-efficacy when deliberately directed toward peer learning and research. Social media addiction was found to depress students' motivation and academic self-efficacy, while social media was affirmed as a major channel for information dissemination among students. The study recommended, among others, that lecturers guide students toward more purposive, research-oriented use of social media platforms.