The Effect of Social Media on Academic Achievement of Grade 12 Learners of

Paril National High School

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A Research Paper in

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

Presented to the Faculty of Senior High School Department

Paril National High School Cebu City, Philippines 6000

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In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Academic Track

GENERAL ACADEMIC STRAND

By
Adlaon, Mercy Grace
Codizar, Perliamea Klien B.
Delit, Gracelyn D.
Rica, Mark Paul
Ybañez, Regine Z.

December 2023
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION
Social Media are growing rapidly among the young generation of the world.
School-age students are widely engaged in using social media. So, they will affect
student's personal and academic lives. The most commonly used method for
communication is social media networking. It is being used by individuals belonging to
every walk of life. Social media was widely accepted by the public. There are numerous
online networking platforms that include but are not limited to Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, Flickr, Snapchat, Vine, and Tumblr.
The capacity of Social Media networking to spread valuable data quickly has made it
the quickest-developing method of association. Social media has changed numerous
businesses, however, the most impact of it is in classroom teaching and the overall
education system. It is a common expectation for academic staff and administrators to
investigate options to ensure the learning environment is modern, relevant, and capable
of producing graduates with attributes aligned with the work environment and their

career expectations.

Having experienced these negative emotions, students might repeatedly check

their messages on social media or get addicted to them. As a result, their cognitive
repertoire and mental capacity might become limited and they might lose their
concentration during their learning process. Past studies have found that students who
spend more time on social media sites are likely to demonstrate poor academic
performance. This is because they have spent time chatting online and making friends

on social media sites instead of reading books. Students who spend too much time on
social media may struggle with time management and become less productive in the
classroom. Students are easily distracted from their studies by constant alerts, endless
scrolling feeds, and the appeal of viral material.

This study aims to find out the effects that social media have on the Grade 12
learner’s academic achievement. It is a well-known fact that technology has its major
pros but some studies have revealed that when placed in the wrong hands, it can be
dangerous. Researchers have found that when it comes to students, they tend to
experiment with behaviors that make them feel good at the moment and allow them to
stand out from their peers. This will examine the many ways in which students' use of
social media might impact their performance in the classroom and will provide advice on
how they can find a happy medium between their online activities and their schoolwork.
Theoretical Background

Do you utilize social media on a regular basis? Are you aware that social media
has an effect on your daily activities, particularly on your academic achievement?

Social media, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, are electronic

communication channels that enable users to build online communities and exchange
knowledge, concepts, private messages, and other content. Social media was created
expressly for human interaction and communication, making it simpler to connect with
individuals around the world. In general, "social media" refers to websites and programs
that let users create and share content on a certain subject or participate in social
networking sites (Eastman, 2013).

In reality, students who regularly use social media while studying tend to perform
slightly worse than students who don't use social media while studying. Students who
often log into social media and spend lots of time using it have slightly lower grades
than those who aren't avid social media users. Social media can be a distraction from
academic tasks. Learners may be less focused on their studies when they engage with
social media, leading to lower academic performance. Researchers can investigate the
extent to which social media use during study time affects concentration and learning
outcomes.

Lastly, Vygotsky’s mediational theory (see Fernyhough, 2008) can be regarded

that social media can play the role of a mediational means between learners and the
real environment. Learners’ understanding of this environment can be mediated by the
image shaped via social media. This image can be either close to or different from the
reality. In the case of the former, learners can develop their self-image and self-esteem.
In the case of the latter, learners might develop unrealistic expectations of themselves
by comparing themselves to others. As will be reviewed below among the affective
variables that increased or decreased in students under the influence of the massive
use of social media are anxiety, stress, depression, distress, rumination, and self-
esteem. These effects have been explored more among school students in the age
range of 13–18 than university students (above 18), but some studies were investigated
among college students as well. Exemplary works of research on these affective
variables are reviewed here.
 THE PROBLEM

Statement of The Problem

This study aims to find out the effect of social media on Grade 12 learners.

Specifically, it answers the following questions:

1. What is the academic status of learners before using social media?

2. What are the effects of social media on the academic achievement of Grade
12 learners of Paril National High School?

3. Based on the gathered data, was the social media effect on learners
advantageous or disadvantageous?
Significance of the Study

The present study will be beneficial to the following:

Learners - This study will help the students to minimize using social
media since this will provide information about the impacts or effects of
social media on the behaviors of learners. The student will focus in class
and not use phones every time Facebook goes in their mind to check if
there are messages and also go to TikTok or YouTube to watch videos.
This study might assist the learners to be more conscious of the influence
of social media on their academic achievement by enlightening them and
giving them new knowledge about how different activities and contents in
social media affect their academic performance.

Community - study will be beneficial to the community especially where

social media is prevalent. This will allow people to have sufficient
knowledge about the contrary forces of social media usage on the
academic performance of students.

Parents and Guardians - Parents and Guardians could encourage the

children to tell them not to use phones while the teacher is discussing. The
parents become happy to teach their children, that instead of using
phones they do household chores and give them more time to study.

Reader - This study will be beneficial to the reader considering the

prevalence of social media, it will help them gain insights into the impacts
of social media usage on the academic achievement of students.
 Researchers - The researcher can also benefit from this study to gain
more crucial knowledge and improve their self-learning.

Future Researchers - Future researchers will benefit from this study to

gain more knowledge and open new doors of learning.

Scope and Delimitations

This study will primarily examine the effect of social media to the academic
achievement of Grade 12 learners. This study’s findings will come from chosen grade
12 learners from Paril National High School S.Y 2023-2024.
Definition of Terms

The researchers define these words following their use to provide a deeper
comprehension of the study’s contents.

Effect - A change that results when something is done or happens an

event, condition, or state of affairs that is produced by a cause.

Academic achievement - Describes academic outcomes that indicate the

extent to which a student has achieved their learning goals.

Diverting - You mean that it is amusing or entertaining.

Sophisticated - Someone who is sophisticated comfortable in social

situations and knows about culture, fashion, and other matters that are
considered socially important.

Attributes - A quality, character, or characteristic ascribed to someone or

something.

Social media - Refers to the means of interactions among people in

which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual
communities and networks.
Peers - A group of people who have similar interests, age, background, or
social status.

Prevalence - Is the proportion of a population who have a specific

characteristic in a given time period.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Social network sites as an online directory that allows people to find their friends,
family, and colleagues by looking them up on social network sites (Kirschner and
Karpinski, 2010). Curtis states that teens all over the world are starting to lose interest in
the use of Facebook and are using Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram (Curtis, 2013).
Victoria Rideout states that, among the younger generation, the time they spend on
social media, what she calls ‘entertainment media’ is “more than twice the average
amount of time spent in school each year.” (Rideout, 2012, p. 5) She also adds that an
American child spends on average seven and a half hours a day just having fun on the
media, not only that, but they multi-task, between all the different media they use. For
example, they can listen to music, send a tweet, and also post on Facebook. Rideout
says, that since social media is seven days a week, unlike school or having a full-time
job, over the years the amount of time one could spend over the internet “has exploded”
(Rideout, 2012, p. 5). Abelardo Pardo believes that technology offers a platform for
innovation, and allows its users to express their opinions about how they feel towards
the information being published. He adds that social media is also a platform that allows
students to interact with one another, with their teachers and communities that share the
same education. Pardo also states that these types of interaction are “an essential part
of how humans learn.” (Pardo, 2013, p. 45) Kirschner and Karpinski, discuss Wim
Veen’s new term, “Homo Sapiens”, which refers to the learners of the new generation,
and the new way they use to learn. This new way is known as “meta-cognitive skills,”
meaning they learn on their own without the need for instructions, it is also called
“discover-based learning.” They also add that the younger generation shares an unclear
bond with technology since their birth, leading them to multi-task. They note that 46% of
the younger generation who access the internet use it to help them with their school
assignments (Kirschner and Karpinski, 2010). June Ahn discusses in her research a
theory called ‘Signaling Theory’, this theory refers to how individuals on social network
sites present themselves, develop their identities, and build trust with others. She also
adds that having many friends on different platforms, causes the individual to lose the
trust of their friends because they start adding people they do not know, to show others
how popular they are (Ahn, 2011b).

According to Kaveri Subrahmanyam and Patricia Greenfield state that using

online communication has both negative and positive effects because there are harmful
ways in which the internet could be used. They also state that nowadays, schools are
trying their best to control how students use digital media on school grounds
(Subrahmanyam and Greenfield, 2008). In some schools, leaders believe that social
media has a positive impact on the development of the student’s education. In other
schools, leaders have banned access to social network sites, because they fear the
students’ interaction with them, although, they know the positive impact social media
has on the student’s education (Ahn, 2010). Ahn also states that the examples of the
media platforms the younger generation use are: YouTube, to share and stream videos,
and Facebook, to have a complete identity online, and a network of friends. Ahn says
researchers look at the profiles of social media users as part of the process needed for
the students to develop their identity (Ahn, 2010). Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe and
Kathleen Clarke-Pearson believe that there are negative impacts caused by social
media, which include accessing inappropriate content and not “understanding online
privacy.” They also say that there is online harassment and cyberbullying, which is
mostly caused by risks of peer-to-peer engagement (O’Keeffe and Clarke-Pearson,
2011).

In another study, there has been a drastic change in the internet world due to the
invention of social media sites in the last ten years. People of all age groups now share
their stories, feelings, videos, pictures and all kinds of public stuff on social media
platforms exponentially (Asur & Huberman, 2010). Youth, particularly from the age
group of 16–24, embraced social media sites to connect with their friends and family,
exchange information, and showcase their social status (Boyd & Ellison, 2008). Social
media sites have many advantages when used in academics. The fun element of social
media sites always helps students connect with peers and teachers to gain knowledge
(Amin et al., 2016). Social media also enhances the communication between teachers
and students as this is no ambiguity and miscommunication from social media which
eventually improves the academic performance of the students (Oueder & Abousaber,
2018). When social media is used for educational purposes, it may improve academic
performance, but some associated challenges also come along with it (Rithika &
Selvaraj, 2013). If social media is incorporated into academics, students try to also use
it for non-academic discussions (Arnold & Paulus, 2010). The primary reason for such
distraction is its design as it is designed to be a social networking tool (Qiu et al., 2013).
According to Englander et al. (2010), the usage of social media in academics has more
disadvantages than advantages. Social media severely impacts the academic
performance of a student. The addiction to social media is found more among the
students of higher studies which ruins the academic excellence of an individual (Nalwa
& Anand, 2003). Among the social media users, Facebook users’ academic
performance was worse than the nonusers or users of any other social media network.
Facebook was found to be a major distraction among students (Kirschner & Karpinski,
2010). However, other studies report contrary findings and argue that students benefit
from chatting (Jain et al., 2012), as it improves their vocabulary and writing skills (Yunus
& Salehi, 2012). Social media can be used either to excel in academics or to devastate
academics. It all depends on the way it is used by the students. The good or bad use of
social media in academics is the users’ decision because both options are open to the
students (Landry, 2014).

Security and privacy are the two major concerns associated with social media.
Teachers are quite apprehensive about using social media for knowledge sharing due to
the same concerns (Fedock et al., 2019). It was found that around 72% of teachers
were reluctant to use social media platforms due to integrity issues and around 63% of
teachers confirmed that security needs to be tightened before using social media in the
classroom (Surface et al., 2014). Proper training on security and privacy, to use social
media platforms in academics, is needed for students and teachers (Bhatnagar & Pry,
2020). The personality traits of a student also play a significant role in deciding the
impact of social media on students’ academic performance. Personality is a dynamic
organization that simplifies the way a person behaves in a situation (Phares, 1991).
Human behavior has further been described by many renowned researchers. According
to Lubinski (2000), human behavior may be divided into five factors, i.e., cognitive
abilities, personality, social attitudes, psychological interests, and psychopathology.
These personality traits are very important characteristics of a human being and play a
substantial role in work commitment (Macey & Schneider, 2008). Goldberg (1993)
elaborated on five dimensions of personality which are commonly known as the Big Five
personality traits. The traits are “openness vs. cautious”; “extraversion vs. introversion”;
“agreeableness vs. rational”; “conscientiousness vs. careless”; and “neuroticism vs.
resilient”. It has been found that among all personality traits, the “extraversion vs.
introversion” personality trait has a greater impact on students’ academic performance
(Costa & McCrae, 1999). Extroverted students are outgoing, talkative, and assertive
(Chamorro et al., 2003). They are positive thinkers and comfortable working in a crowd.
Introverted students are reserved and quiet. They prefer to be isolated and work in silos
(Bidjerano & Dai, 2007). So, in the present study, we have considered only the
“extraversion vs. introversion” personality trait. This study is going to analyze the impact
of social media platforms on students’ academic performance by taking the personality
traits of extraversion and introversion as moderating variables along with their education
level and gender.

Additionally, a study by Jacka and Scott (2011) aimed to sum up that there is no
solitary standard definition of social media that is a general phenomenon, and its
relevance in society cannot be overemphasized. Social media has been described as a
miniature world or a space where people socialize via online platforms. It can be
accessible either through websites or applications that are specially designed to
connect people and allow them to share virtual content in real time. Social media which
can also be referred to as Social Networking Sites is an online technology platform that
helps individuals to connect and interact with people beyond and abroad so as to build a
communication linkage in the society. It is used to build a relationship through
communication with young and old and also to listen to music, read books and for
multimedia storage amongst others Safko and Brake, (2008) also averred that social
media is an activity, practice, and behavior among communities of people who gather
online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media.
Similarly, Drury (2008) further defines social media as an online resource that is easily
accessible to the public to share content including video, photos, images, text, ideas,
insight, comedy, opinion, gossip, and news. Some of these social media tools include
Yahoo Mail, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, Zoom, Twitter, and so
on.

Furthermore, a study by Livingstone and Brake (2010) aimed to affirmed their

opinion that social media tools represent a progressive target for researchers and
policymakers. It has driven great fervor among educators because of the role it plays in
the learning objective. This assertion is also supported by researchers such as Wheeler,
Yeomans, and Wheeler, (2008); Rifkin, Longnecker, Leach, Davis, and Ortia, (2009)
elucidated the advantages of social media tool uses in the education system which
includes enhancing relationship, improving learning motivation, offering personalized
learning materials and also developing collaborative abilities which show that social
media tools activities have the possibility of enhancing student‟s contact and can also
be used to improve their participation in the class, particularly where introverted
students are involved. Due to the upsurge in the usage of social media tools like instant
messaging 41Technium Social Sciences JournalVol. 8, 38-51, June 2020ISSN: 2668-
7798www.techniumscience.com applications which includes: Facebook and Whatsapp,
research carried out in 2019 shows that over 7 billion people in the world use either of
these applications to connect people. This instant messaging application has boosted
communication away from the school environment through creating group chats and
access to online links which makes it easier for students‟ to function in online group
learning, with less or no anxiety of the need to raise questions before peers at school.
This shows that the advent of social media platforms has enhanced the students‟ to
technological innovations which may have impacted their learning proficiency. Social
media tools are not limited to the students alone as it has also benefited researchers in
various professions to have quick access to information and materials to enhance their
skills and keep up to date in their professional career. One of the advantages of social
media tools in some standard schools is the sending of results by the school
management to the parent or guardian of the student to know the academic
achievement of their ward which is done weekly, monthly, termly, or on a sessional
basis.

Meanwhile, a study by Junco, (2011) averred that this tool has formed an integral
part of higher education students. Social media impacts students‟ physically and
mentally which boosts their academic life to make it effective and efficient in their cause
of learning. According to research carried out by Jain; Verma; Verma and Tiwari (2012),
it revealed that some students benefit from chit-chatting with other students, instructors,
and social relations as a means of connecting with others. This is also supported by
Yunus and Salehi (2012), who both argued in the same trend that students learn and
improve their vocabulary, reading, and writing skills and correction of their spelling
errors through social media usage. In addition, it deepens learning by creating a wider
range of options to explore by both the students and instructors which is done at their
own convenience on the choice of what methodology is best suited to the teaching-
learning process. Some of the options include online teaching- learning which is
becoming more popular and accessible anywhere in the world through the internet
connection. O‟Keeffe and Clake-Pearson (2011), in their study, discovered that
students can also share, solve, and discuss class activities, assignments, and group
projects on social media within or outside the school premises. It is further propped by
Arquero and Esteban, (2013) and Selwyn, (2007) whose suppositions were that social
media has unquestionably created innovative prospects to engage students in
secondary education as they are remarkably effective at connecting people thereby
expediting the exchange of information. In spite of the positive aspects that show the
importance and effect of social media on students’ academic achievement, Davies and
Cranston (2008); and Okeeffe and Clake-Pearson (2011), highlighted some of the
menaces related to social media which include immoral activities such as: identity theft
and fake contacts, online sexual harassment, inapt advertising, cyberbullying, sexting,
privacy trepidations, social media online addiction, loneliness and depression. These
immoral activities make students lose the factual aspect of natural human
communication skills as they spend more time on frivolities which will thus affect them
negatively. Some of the adverse impacts of social media have seen various cases in
highly sensitive places such as schools, religious houses, and so on whereby students
spend too much of their time chit-chatting, watching pornography, and addiction to
social media platforms which could lead to late night and unhealthy or poor sleep,
increased rate of anxiety and depression among youths.

In another study, Kuppuswamy and Shankar (2010), opined in their study that
social media tools divert the attention and awareness of students toward learning
whereby most of the students spend most of their precious time online with superfluous
chatting. It was observed that the uncultured use of these social media platforms also
affects students'‟ use of English and grammar which makes students abbreviate verbal
and non-verbal words in their chat rooms and also in the classrooms Obi, Bulus,
Adamu, & Sala‟ at, (2012). Most students‟ get used to the social media slang while
some are primarily accustomed to it in such a way that they use it in the day-to-day
communication with their peers due to the rampant usage of unnecessary abbreviation
of spellings which could have a detrimental impact on their morals and academic
achievement. Further observation shows that some students get too carried away with
the usage as they go as far as using such words and their abbreviations in the
classroom activities by constructing sentences like „Be right back as BRB‟, „Rolling on
the floor laughing as ROFL‟, Shaking my head as SMH‟, “As soon as possible as
ASAP” and so on. There are students‟ who use those aforementioned words in their
examination and this makes their teachers mark them down. Oche and Aminu, (2010)
further emphasize that social media tools disrupt students‟ attention as most of them
spend about 24 hours online, and some of them extend this abrupt attitude of chit-
chatting into the classroom and even in the school library. This summarizes justified
evidence that the positive and judicious usage of social media will benefit and make
teaching-learning methodology effective and efficient in the students’‟ academic
achievement and vice versa.

In addition, the level of education literacy in the Gambia has increased in the last
decade due to the impact of the Government to encourage her youths by providing
moral and financial support so as to acquire the necessary skills needed to become
effective and efficient in the future. Despite the rise in the usage of social media among
youths in the Gambia, the majority of the secondary students have limited access to
social media tools due to the low level of literacy as it is accessible to a few students
who are from wealthy homes and attends private schools. Some of the students are
sponsored by government and non-governmental organizations which thereby
constitutes the mainstream of them to attend Government schools where they pay little
or no money. A greater percentage of the students are from region one in the (Banjul
and Kanifing Municipal Council). According to a report by (Accessgambia, 2009), (4.5%
of females) go to school compared to (1.2% of males) which shows that the majority of
the students are females. This shows that the impact of education cannot be
overemphasized as it is the most effective medium to transform the world. It is an
investment in knowledge that in the end pays the best interest as it helps to explore
human potential in life. Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition
of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and lifestyles. It can either take place formally or
informally. Education is a vital asset for human and economic growth and development
which is influenced by society. The provision of quality education will enhance students‟
academic achievement which is affected by many factors including gender, age,
teaching methodology, learners‟ schooling, parental socioeconomic status, residential
area of learners, medium of school policies, tuition trend, peer group, and many more.
Education methods include discussion, teaching, training, storytelling, and directed
research.
 However, various scholars have investigated some of the factors that affect
student academic achievement in schools. Borde, (1998) averred that students'‟
educational success solely depends on the social status of students‟ parents/guardians
in the society. There were further studies 43Technium Social Sciences JournalVol. 8,
38-51, June 2020ISSN: 2668-7798www.techniumscience.com that supported the
opinion that the learning outcome of students will be determined by parents‟ income or
social-economic status which could positively affect the evaluation of students‟
academic achievement as compared to the students‟ that their families are on low-
income Considine and Zappala, (2002). Other factors that determine the learning
outcome of students include; low literacy level, low retention rate, and so on. In addition,
there are further opinions that suggest that students with good socio-economic
backgrounds perform better than those from low socio-economic status and this makes
the students obtain low scores in their studies Eamon (2005). The study also shows that
there are some important factors that have an effect on the students‟ achievement in
high school which will also contribute to their learning objectives such as previous
schooling, parents‟ educational background, family income, self-motivation of students,
age of student, learning preference, entry qualification of students and so on Woodfeld
and Earl-Novell (2006). Also, the students‟ learning outcomes and academic
achievement are strongly affected by the standard and type of educational institutions in
which students get their education. Cotton and Savard (2004) in their submission
argued that school ownership, provision of facilities, and availability of resources in
school is an important structural component of the school. For instance, there has been
a strong argument that public school students perform better than their counterparts in
private schools but findings show that those in the private schools perform better due to
better funding, small and manageable sizes, serious ownership, motivated aptitude due
to improved staff welfare and access to educational resources such as computers,
projectors e.t.c. Private school students‟ are also motivated to learn and perform better
in their academic achievement due to adequate funding and provision of teaching
resources and facilities. According to Considine and Zappala (2002), the learning
environment which is varied by teachers‟ expectations have a strong influence on
students‟ academic achievement. The standard of the learning environment of the
school a student attends sets the pace and evaluates the student‟ academic
performance. Most of the teachers working in poor schools lacking basic amenities find
it demanding to motivate students to learn which often leads to low performance
expectations from their students. Harb and ElShaarawi(2006) further explain that
students'‟ achievement is influenced by the school in which they study which is also
based on the number of facilities the school could offer which is used to determine the
quality of the school, which in turn affect the achievement and accomplishment of the
students. From the foregoing, students‟ prefer to check the latest updates, upload their
social lifestyles on status so as to mimic other students‟ and this makes other students‟
try to imitate them. Most students suffer from academic setbacks as a result of
unnecessary social media preoccupation by spending more time online. The emphasis
on the impact of social media on academic excellence is prevalent throughout the world
and has encouraged many researchers to share their view on how it can help students‟
positively by putting their efforts toward learning, scientific research and innovation
which will make them be a better student and also prepare them mentally, morally,
academically and physically for their future. However, with these advancements a major
concern arises in this globalized world where there is huge quest for technological
development which makes social networking platforms becoming more popular
especially among students. In light of this, the objective of this paper is to determine the
effect of social media tool (Facebook) on students‟ academic achievement in secondary
schools that are actively using social media tools in the Gambia.

In another study based on the Smartphone Addiction Scale (Kwon et al., 2013),
studies using smartphones on students to understand the link between addictedness
and usage usually divide them into two groups (potential addicts and non-addicts). Lee
et al. (2014) tested it on 95 students before asking them to install the SmartLogger
software, which records particular events linked to their phone activities, such as touch,
text input, and active/inactive events. The extracted patterns show that addict risk
groups spent more incredible time on their applications, with a preference for those that
provided momentary pleasure, such as entertainment. For example, Lee et al. (2017)
had 35 students download an app that tracked their smartphone usage for six weeks.
According to 101 The Social Media Usage and Academic Performance of Filipino
Learners Jhoselle Tus et al. to the findings, while chat apps were the most popular
across both categories, addicts overwhelmingly favored social media apps. In reality
mining, students are also the primary sample (Eagle & Pentland, 2006). In terms of
social media, the Copenhagen Networks Study (Stopczynski et al., 2014) gathers data
on 1,000 students by combining smartphone data with face-to-face interactions and
Facebook usage; however, these data are not correlated with academic success. In
terms of academic achievement, the SmartGPA study (Wang et al., 2015) used data
from the Student Life study (Wang et al., 2014), which looked at the impact of workload
on several mental and physical aspects of students' lives, such as mood and sociability,
in a class of 48 students over a ten-week term, to show that there is evidence of a link
between grades and behavior. Even though this type of data was acquired, Wang et al.
(2015) did not consider social media usage while analyzing their impact on students'
careers. According to sociological research, there is a destructive relationship between
social media use and academic performance. For example, Rosen et al. (2013) looked
into the behavior and study environments of 263 students from various educational
levels, such as middle school, high school, and university. Students were observed for
15 minutes, and their on-task and off-task conduct was recorded every minute. Students
become distracted in less than 6 minutes on average before turning to technology
distractions like social media and texting. Junco (2012) investigated the relationship
between Facebook use and academic achievement by polling 1839 college students
about their Facebook usage and comparing it to their grades. According to the findings,
there is a negative relationship between time spent on Facebook and grades. In
comparison to other activities such as studying or attending classes, it appears that
social media provides students with immediate enjoyment (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011).

Moreover, using cell phones, like social media, has a negative impact on
academic achievement (Al-Barashdi et al., 2015); in fact, social media is becoming
increasingly synonymous with smartphone usage. Because of its pervasiveness and
connection, social networks can be utilized to predict smartphone addiction in users,
according to (Jeong et al., 2016). These capabilities of smartphones encourage
multitasking (Lepp et al., 2015) or using social media while doing something else, which
reduces the amount of time available for academic tasks. Lepp et al. (2015) conducted
a study of US college students to assess their self-efficacy and self-regulation, i.e., how
well they believe they can achieve their objectives and how well they can regulate and
manage themselves when using smartphones. Students with poor self-control were
found to have the most harmful effects from smartphone use on their academic
performance; in terms of demographics, Al-Barashdi et al. (2015) claim that gender and
field of study can be used to predict addiction. According to their evaluation of the
literature, male and humanities students are more vulnerable to smartphone addiction.
However, some research suggests that the surveys used to generate these links may
be incorrect, resulting in an estimate of actual usage (Lee et al., 2017; Boase & Ling,
2013; Andrews et al., 2015). One problem is that surveys rely on aggregate data from
"stylized" questions (Juster & Stafford, 1985), such as "How many times do you check
your smartphone on average per day?" " (Gokcearslan et al., 2016), which requires
users to recollect activities and select a suitable averaging method (Kan & Pudney,
2008). On the other hand, works relying on smartphone data for analyzing usage tend
to focus on addiction on their own (Lee et al., 2017, 2014) or do not correlate usage
patterns to academic performance (Wang et al., 2015).

Additionally, social media has become integral to modern society, shaping

various aspects of human life. Its usage can be conceptualized concerning academic,
socialization, entertainment, and informative purposes. Regarding academics, social
media platforms offer opportunities for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and access to
educational resources. Students and educators can engage in online discussions, join
academic communities, and follow relevant pages and accounts to stay updated on
research and developments in their field (Raut & Patil, 2016). However, it is essential to
note that social media's impact on academic performance is a topic of debate, as
excessive usage can lead to distractions and decreased focus on studies (Kirschner &
Karpinski, 2010). Socialization is another significant aspect of social media usage.
Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow individuals to connect with
friends, family, and colleagues, regardless of geographical distance. These platforms
enable people to share life updates, communicate through messaging and video calls,
and maintain social connections (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).

However, there are concerns regarding the impact of excessive social media use
on mental health, as it can lead to feelings of social comparison, isolation, and anxiety
(Kross et al., 2013). Regarding entertainment, social media platforms offer a wide range
of content, including memes, videos, music, and games. Users can follow their favorite
celebrities, influencers, and content creators, engaging with their posts and participating
in discussions.
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The researchers utilized a qualitative method and a quantitative method. This

study utilized a qualitative method because the researchers were observing the
learners’ academic achievement. It also utilized a quantitative method because the
researchers were gathering data using questionnaires. These questionnaires
determined the significance of the different effects on the learners’ academic
achievement.

The researchers use a descriptive research design to identify characteristics,

frequencies, trends, and categories. It is useful when not much is known yet about the
topic or problem. Before you can research why something happens, you need to
understand how, when, and where it happens.
 INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

A Descriptive -Research Design The researchers

Study of the will be able to
-Research
Effect of Social determine the
instrument
Media on negative effects
Academic -Creation of of social media
Achievement of Research on academic
Grade 12 instrument achievement of
Learners of Paril -Gathering of Data learners.
National High
-Evaluation of
School.
gathered data

-Determining the
effects of social
media on academic
achievement of
learners

Research Environment

The study will be conducted at Paril National High School. It is located in

Barangay Paril, Cebu City. The students of the said school are coming from Barangay
Paril and its neighboring Barangays. Paril is divided into sitios which include Proper,
Baogo, Gaang, Tag-ube 2, Lower Cantisang, Upper Cantisang, and Busay.
Research Subjects

The subjects of this study are the Grade 12 Learners of Paril National High
School, North District VI, Division of Cebu City. The researchers chose the respondents
of the research.

Research Instrument

The researcher would conduct a survey through a questionnaire regarding the

Effect of Social Media on the Academic Achievement of Grade 12 Learners in Paril
National High School. But first, the researcher would like to interview the learners before
giving the questionnaire. The researchers chose the Grade 12 Learners as the
respondents because they are identified as regular users of social media.

Predictive validity criteria are gathered at some point in time after the survey
giving the questionnaire. As with scientific measurement instruments, two important
qualities of surveys are consistency and accuracy. These are assessed by considering
the survey’s reliability and validity.

Research Procedure

In the preparatory stage, the researchers will ask permission from the school
Principal, class advisers, and subject teacher to conduct the study. The Researchers will
explain the research, the things that they must do, and their special participation in the
study. The subjects of the study agreed about the conduction of examinations in their
classroom for their convenience. During the examination, the students will be given
instructions and will be told to answer using the English language. After giving the
questions to the students, they are going to answer it seriously and they are going to
take the exam within 15 minutes. After answering, the researchers will extend their
warmest gratitude to the students for being so kind as well as being a big help to the
conducted research to gather all the information needed in the study, and we will
organize it properly. After gathering all the data needed, the researchers will
consolidate, interpret, and analyze properly.

Gathering of Data

For data gathering, the researchers first sent a transmittal letter to grade 12
learners’ respective advisers. After that, consent letters were handed out by the advisers
to their chosen learners asking for permission from their parents and from the learners
themselves. The learners were given printed questionnaires in school. After all, 52
learners had answered the survey, the responses were used as data that have been
analyzed by the researchers on the effect of social media on the academic achievement
of learners.

Statistical Treatment

To calculate the statistical mean (average) for the effect of social media on the
academic achievement of learners, you'll need a data set that includes measurements
of this effect for a group of learners. Let's assume you have a set of data points
representing the effect scores for individual learners (e.g., on a scale from 1 to 10,
where 10 represents a negative effect, 8 represents a neutral effect, and 5 represents a
positive effect).

The formula for calculating the mean (average) effect score is as follows:

Mean = (Sum of All Effect Scores) / (Number of Learners)

Mathematically, it can be represented as:

 n

Mean
∑ Xi
i=1
¿
n

Where:

 Mean is the average effect score.

 n is the total number of learners in your dataset.

 X_i represents the effect score for each individual learner (from 1 to n).

To calculate the mean effect of social media on academic achievement, you

would sum up all the individual effect scores and then divide that sum by the total
number of learners in your study. This calculation will provide you with the average
effect score, which represents the overall impact of social media on academic
achievement based on your data.