Science Education Undergraduates’ perspectives on Social Media Platforms for Learning In Niger State Public Universities

Abstract

The recent development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has led to the creation of a social media platform for social interaction and learning. Therefore, the study examined social media platforms for learning: pre-service biology education students’ perspectives in Niger State. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design. The population of the study were all science education students in a public university in Niger State. The sample was made up of one hundred and eighty-two (182) students. Three research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A questionnaire on students’ usage and perceptions on social media platforms for learning was used as an instrument for the study. The instrument was validated by experts in science education. The instruments were pilot tested, and it yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.74 and 0.72. The findings of the study indicated that the respondents utilized SMP such as WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, for learning. The findings also show that the respondents in this population have a high and positive perception of social media platforms. There was no significant gender difference in the perception of pre-service undergraduates’ science education teachers. It was recommended among others that pre-service teachers should be directed on the use of social media for instructional purposes