SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AMONG BASIC SCIENCE JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MINNA, NIGER STATE

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of social media usage on the academic achievement of Basic Science junior secondary school students in Minna, Niger State. The study adopted an expo facto research design. The population consists of Junior Secondary School Two (JSS 2) students in the selected schools in Minna. A sample of 59 students was selected using a stratified random sampling technique to ensure adequate representation across gender and school type. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled Social Media Usage and Academic Achievement Questionnaire (SMUAAQ), validated by expert in Educational Technology, Sokoto State University, Sokoto. A Cronbach Alpha coefficient formula was used to obtained the reliability of 0.83. Data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and multiple linear regression analysis. The findings revealed that social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok were the most commonly used among students. It was found that students used social media to high level only to communicate with friends, classmates, teachers, make new friends, upload videos and pictures, follow latest trends, and search for educational contents. The analysis further reveals that school type significantly influences academic achievement, while individual factors like social media usage and gender show no significant effects in this sample. It was concluded that students do not abuse the good uses of social media, while parents and teachers continue to encourage them consuming the appropriate contents online. The study recommended that teachers, parents and school administrators promote responsible and purposeful social media use among students through digital literacy education and the integration of social media into classroom learning to enhance their academic achievement.