ABSTRACT
This study was on “The Influence of Social Media in The Teaching and Learning of Physics in Secondary Schools.” It was carried out in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of social media platforms on learning physics in secondary school. Specifically, it seeks to assess the extent to which social media is used for learning purposes in secondary schools and to determine whether its utilization enhances student participation in the learning of physics. Furthermore, the study seeks to examine whether the use of social media for teaching and learning physics has a positive impact on students' academic performance. Finally, it aims to identify effective social media platforms for teaching and learning physics in secondary schools.
The research design employed for this study is a survey, with the goal of investigating how social media influences the learning of physics in secondary schools. The study population consisted of 120 students enrolled in physics courses across selected secondary schools, encompassing both public and private institutions. A sample of 90 physics students was randomly selected using the simple random sampling technique, while the stratification process considered academic level, gender, and school type. The primary research tool was a self-constructed questionnaire, divided into two sections: biographical data and questions concerning students' perceptions and attitudes towards the use of social media for physics learning. To ensure the questionnaire's validity, it underwent a rigorous review and gained approval from the project supervisor. Data collection involved the personal administration of the questionnaire, and statistical methods were used for analysis. Demographic data were evaluated through simple percentages, while research questions were assessed using mean values. A benchmark mean score of 2.50 served to categorize responses as "agree" if they exceeded this threshold, and "disagree" if they fell below it. Additionally, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was employed for hypothesis testing, with a significance level set at 0.05.
The findings revealed that a majority of students use social media for physics learning, with high Facebook and YouTube usage. Social media use positively influences students' interest in learning physics, and many schools promote social media but less frequently use it for physics research assignments. While students generally disagreed with the impact of social media on their concentration and missing assignments, they acknowledged its role in checking social media during study. Gender and age did not significantly affect social media's impact on academic performance, and there was no significant difference in social media usage and academic performance between private and public schools.
