INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PARTICIPATION ON THE STUDY HABITS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UDI EDUCATION ZONE OF ENUGU STATE by Dr Chika C. Ugwuanyi and Dr Samuel O. Nneji

INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PARTICIPATION ON THE STUDY HABITS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UDI EDUCATION ZONE OF ENUGU STATE

 

Dr Chika C. Ugwuanyi

Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education

University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN)

And

Dr Samuel O. Nneji

Department of Science and Computer Education,

Faculty of Education Enugu State

 

Abstract

To achieve the objectives of secondary education, there is need for all stake holders especially students who form a major percentage to play their parts very well and have a good study habit. But students are faced with numerous challenges and distractions through social media which may mar their study habit and hence their achievement. This study was aimed at determining the influence of participation in social media on secondary school students’ study habits in Udi Education Zone of Enugu state. Casual-comparative or ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. Proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to draw 1804 SS2 students from Udi Education Zone of Enugu state. Two instruments were used for data collection. One was a 20-item Inventory on Students Level of Participation in Social Media (ISPSOM) and the other was a 24-item Students’ Study Habit Scale (SSHAS). The instruments were validated by three research experts. ISPSOM and SSHAS yielded a reliability coefficient of .69 and .64 respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the hypothesis at .05 level of significance. Major findings of the study revealed that participation in social media influenced the concentration, management and reading skills of secondary school students negatively. It was recommended among others that teachers and head of secondary schools in Enugu state should ensure strict adherence to the ban of the use of telephone and other platforms for social media by secondary school students in the school.