A model of factors affecting learning performance through the use of social media in Malaysian higher education

Abstract

This study attempted to mitigate the gap in literature concerning the use of social media for active collaborative learning and engagement and its effect on the research students’ learning performance in the context of Malaysia. A questionnaire based on Constructivism Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model was employed as the main data collection method, which was distributed to 723 research students in five Malaysian research universities. Based on the obtained results, male and female students’ satisfaction of social media use for collaborative learning and engagement positively affected their learning performance, although in the case of females, they were not fully satisfied with perceived ease of use and usefulness. The study concludes that overall, active collaborative learning and engagement through social media enriches the learning activities of students and facilitates group discussions, and hence, their use should be encouraged in learning and teaching processes in higher education institutions.