Exploring the role of social media on academic performance: The case of three public schools in Kimberley, Northern Cape

Abstract

This study explored the role of social media on the academic performance of learners in three public schools in Kimberley, Northern Cape Province. The study addressed the limited research on social media integration in South African primary school contexts, particularly within resource-constrained educational environments. A qualitative phenomenological research design was adopted to explore teachers’ perceptions, experiences, challenges, and strategies regarding the educational use of social media. Nine primary school teachers from three public schools were purposively selected based on their experience with integrating social media into teaching and learning. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Albert Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory served as the foundation for the study, which concentrated on ideas like social reinforcement in digital learning settings, self-efficacy, reciprocal determinism, and observational learning. The findings revealed five major themes relating to teachers’ perceptions and experiences, teaching practices, academic performance, challenges associated with social media use, and strategies for effective integration. The findings demonstrated that social media, especially through sites like YouTube, had a beneficial impact on learner engagement, involvement, cooperation, and access to instructional content. Learner distraction, behavioural issues, cyberbullying, language development problems, insufficient infrastructure, limited internet access, and a lack of technical support were among the challenges identified in the study. The findings further revealed that how social media is used, overseen, and directed in schools has a significant impact on its educational value. Collaboration among stakeholders, organised policies, monitoring systems, and teacher readiness are necessary for successful integration. Based on the findings, the study developed the Social Media Integration Framework for Primary Schools (SMIF-PS), aimed at guiding schools in integrating social media effectively while minimising associated risks. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on social media in education within the South African context and provides practical recommendations for teachers, school management teams, and education departments regarding responsible and effective social media integration in primary schools.