The Impact of Social Media on Students’ Academic Performance

in English during the Pandemic

A Research Paper
Presented to
The Junior High School Department of
Vita Basic Education School
Zone 10, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Grade 10
English

Aryanna Quinto

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 Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The use of social media has increased all over the world due to the new normal
of teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. What’s appropriate and not for
social media has changed a lot in the past year. One hard truth of the pandemic was
that, in order to someday be together safely, we had to be apart in the meantime. For
many, this meant that social media has become one of the only ways to be with friends
and family, so people have flocked to platforms new and old. The new normal, where
many more of our daily interactions are mediated by screens, has made us change the
way we behave on those platforms, with the messiness and realities of pandemic life
crowding out some of the social media’s posturing and perfection (Molla 2021).

The term social media refers to a computer-based technology that facilitates the
sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities.
Social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of
content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos. Users engage
with social media via a computer, tablet, or smartphone via web-based software or
applications. While social media is ubiquitous in America and Europe, Asian countries
like Indonesia lead the list of social media usage. More than 4.5 billion people use social
media, as of October 2021 (Dollarhide 2021). With billions of people around the world
spending more time at home, socially distancing, and trying to come up with ways to
stay in touch despite lockdowns, all leading social platforms seemed to thrive and
reported monthly active usage growth in 2021 compared to 2019. Monthly user
numbers of the biggest 2020 trend, TikTok, increased the most, at 38 percent over the
evaluated period. Pinterest came in second, followed by Reddit. Nevertheless, good old

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players such as Facebook and Twitter also saw significant growth rates (Department
2021).

Statement of the problem

This study sought to determine the impact of social media on students’ academic
performance in English. The following questions are:
1. Will social media help students become independent on their academic
performance in English during the pandemic?
2. What are the positive effects that students will benefit from social media
during the pandemic?
3. Will social media be a reliable source for academic improvement during the
pandemic?
Hypotheses

The following hypotheses guided the study and were tested at a certain level of
significance:

H0: There is no significant impact between the use of social media and the
academic performance of students in English.

H1: There is a significant impact between the use of social media and the
academic performance of students in English.

Significance of the Study

The results of this study will be beneficial to the following:

For the students of Vita Basic Education School , the findings of this study will
help the students to widen their knowledge with the help of social media.

For the students of other private Junior and Senior High School , for them to
control themselves of using social media.

For the teachers, for them to give guidance to students who are in need through
social media.

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 For the School Administrators, the findings of this study can be well informed on
how social media is being used by students. With this study, school
administrators can improve the online setup of students such as SpyCamera to
prevent cheating.

For the future researchers, for them to receive knowledge related to this study in
order for them to use that knowledge if they ever encounter the same problem
as we are today.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

This study limits itself to interviewing students in three (3) basic education
institutions in Cagayan de Oro City namely Vita Basic Education School, Xavier
University, and Liceo de Cagayan University. The respondents range from (14-17) years
old. The data collection process was made to an online platform because of the
restrictions on social distancing and the stay-at-home policy due to the Covid-19
pandemic.

Furthermore, the research instrument that was used in this study is a self-made
questionnaire. The time constraint of the research is conducted within a month, and the
making of the first chapter was made in about weeks. The purposive sampling method
will be used in choosing the specific participants of the population of Junior and Senior
High school students in the above-mentioned institutions. This study only limits and
aims to know the impact of online learning on the overall performance of students,
especially during the pandemic.

Definition of Terms
Social media- are forms of electronic communication through which users create
online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other
content.

Ubiquitous - means existing or being everywhere at the same time.

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TikTok - a social media platform for creating, sharing, and discovering short
videos. The app is used by young people as an outlet to express themselves
through singing, dancing, comedy, and lip-syncing, and allows users to create
videos and share them across a community.

Pinterest - a social curation website for sharing and categorizing images found
online. The site is described in its own content as a visual bookmarking site.
Pinterest is a portmanteau of the words “pin” and “interest.”

Reddit - a social news website and forum where content is socially curated and
promoted by site members through voting.

Facebook - defined as an online social networking website where people can

create profiles, share information such as photos and quotes about themselves,
and respond or link to the information posted by others.

Twitter - a free social networking microblogging service that allows registered

members to broadcast short posts called tweets.

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 Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study aims to investigate the impact of social media on students’ academic
performance in English during the pandemic. Specifically, this literature review will look
into the studies that see the influence brought about by social media during this
pandemic time. This study will be necessary for the students of today to identify both
the positive and negative impact of social media on students’ academic performance in
English.

Social Media

Further, as a student’s age increases, the frequency of off-topic discussions also

increases (Lin et al., 2013). This indicates that while social media may encourage
broader discussions of course content, older students may spend more time than
younger students engaging in unrelated discussions. Social media can also negatively
affect student GPA, as well as the number of time students, spend preparing for class
(Annetta et al., 2009; Junco, 2012b). One explanation for this impact is that social
media provides too much stimulation and therefore can distract students from
completing their coursework (Hurt et al., 2012; Patera et al., 2008). Another reason for
this may be that students who spend more time on social media may have difficulty
balancing their online activities and their academic preparation. (Rithika M. et
Selvaraj,2013)

Academic Performance

There are a lot of studies regarding the academic performance of students with
the usage of social media. Menseh and Nizam (2016) described that social networking
has a meaningful effect on students' academic performances. They also pointed out the
abnormal use of social media platforms by students. The study suggested it is useful
that universities and colleges in Malaysia educate their students to use these platforms

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positively for educational purposes which will ultimately result in a positive impact on
their academic performance. (Mushtak 2018)

Synthesis

Indeed, social media has affected the way we handle and learn things especially
in this time of the pandemic. Therefore, social media has shown its negative and
positive impacts on students’ academic performance specifically in English.

This related literature will help the researchers to strengthen their hypothesis
and back up their research problem.

Conceptual Framework
Conceptual Framework represents the researcher’s synthesis of the literature on
how to explain a phenomenon. It maps out the actions required in the course of the
study given his previous knowledge of others researchers’ points of view and his
observations on the subject of research.

In this research, the researcher conducted a question-and-answer tool through a

survey questionnaire to the respondents to get some useful elements if they learn more
about their weakness in having their online setup as it will make them understand it
even more or they might develop more knowledge in their new online learning style.

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 Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the methodology of the present investigation.
Specifically, it includes the research design, sampling procedures, data gathering
instrument, data gathering procedure, and data analysis procedure.

Research Design (Quantitative Research)

In this research, the researcher abstracted on students’ main focus point in their
encounters of using social media on their academic performances. For the researcher’s
quantitative research, the main point of this study is to elaborate on the impact of social
media on students’ academic performance. Since the students may have lacked the
responsibility in using social media on their academic performances. This study will
reveal if some students might have the same impact when it comes to social media.
Knowing the students today, as the researcher is a student herself, we’ll know that we
will soon understand more about the impacts of the usage of social media.

Sampling Procedure
For the gender of females, there are three (7) girls between the age of 16 and
17. For the gender of males, there are (3) boys ranging from ages 14-16. The sample
size is seven (7) girls and three (3) boys considering that they all have the same
learning style they might also have the same impact when it comes to the usage of
social media for academic purposes. As for the sampling procedure, only four (4)
respondents will gain the same significance to each other related to this study,
compared to the remaining respondents who might have difficulties with time
management or usage on social media.

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Data Gathering Instrument
This study used a test questionnaire as its research instrument and data source
since it gathers data faster than any other instrument. It is the most convenient among
all other instruments. By using a survey as a research instrument, the researchers
aimed to look into the impact of online learning on the overall performance of students.

The questionnaire used for this research was a questionnaire formulated by the
researcher. The questionnaire is composed of 10 items. The items are scored using the
“Yes or No” scale. In the response, a higher score is indicative of a more significant
influence or impact of social media on students’ academic performance in English
during the pandemic.

Data Gathering Procedure

In the data gathering procedure, the researchers asked for prior permission from
the respondents by sending an email regarding the survey. Before finally floating the
survey questionnaires, a pretesting was conducted with the research adviser to revise
the questionnaire and further enhance the validity. As a result, the pilot testing showed
no default in the questionnaire regarding the questions.

After the validation of the instrument, the researchers proceed to gather the
necessary data. The soft copy of the MS Word file where the survey questionnaire can
be accessed was sent via personal email of the respondents who are the students from
selected Junior and Senior High school, together with the consent form. Furthermore,
the respondents have the discretion to answer the survey.

The samples were drawn randomly from students in Junior High School.
Specifically, Grades 9-12 in Vita Basic Education School, Xavier University, and Liceo de
Cagayan University.

Data Analysis Procedure

In the tools for this procedure, these are the following methods of this analysis
of data or rather the essential elements of this procedure:

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1. Analyzation - examine methodically and in detail the constitution or structure of
something, especially information, typically for purposes of explanation and
interpretation.

2. Review - to examine or study again

3. Information - knowledge obtained from investigation, study, or instruction

4. Examine - inspect someone or something in detail to determine their nature or

condition; investigate thoroughly.

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 Chapter 4
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
A. Results

The results present the interpretation, implications of the data gathered, and

studies that support the obtained results.

Table 1. RESPONDENTS’ DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

AGE 14-15 YEARS OLD 2

16-17 YEARS OLD 8
TOTAL: 10
GENDER MALE 3
FEMALE 7
TOTAL: 10
GRADE LEVEL GRADE 9 1
GRADE 10 3
GRADE 11-12 6
TOTAL: 10

Table 2. RESPONDENTS’ RESPONSE TO THE QUESTIONAIRE

QUESTIONAIRE NO. OF RESPONDENTS

A B
1. Do you have a social media account? 10 0
2. Are you taking online classes this school year? 10 0

3. Do you use social media every day? 9 1

4. Do you spend more than 5 hours a day on social 5 5
media?

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 5. Do you often meet people through the internet? 8 2
6. Does social media help you understand your 10 0
lessons much easier?
7. Do you only rely on social media whenever you 5 5
couldn’t understand the lesson?
8. Do you think social media made your academic 8 2
performance a lot better than before?
9. Has your vocabulary improved since using social 10 0
media?
10. Do you often use the English language on 8 2
social media?

Problem 1. Will social media help students become independent on their academic
performance in English during the pandemic?
Based on the respondents’ response, social media won’t exactly help students
become independent because, from the word “social”, students could be dependent on
what they find on social media depending if it’s a person they rely on or a source which
the students found on social media.

Problem 2. What are the positive effects that students will benefit from social media
during the pandemic?
Based on the respondent’s response, the positive effect that students may
benefit from is their wide knowledge of vocabulary. All respondents have increased their
vocabulary because of social media which proves that social media gave a great impact
when it comes to vocabulary and socializing.

Problem 3. Will social media be a reliable source for academic improvement during the
pandemic?
Based on the respondents’ response, it can at the same time can’t. As the
researcher a student herself, it is understandable that social media can’t be fully trusted
because there could be a lot of inaccurate sources on social media. However, there are
a lot of intelligent people on social media which means social media could also be a
reliable source.

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 Chapter 5
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION

Findings
This research endeavor talks about the impact that social media brings to
students in terms of academics. This study proves that social media gives a great
impact on students’ academic performance, especially in English because of the number
of students that have learned a new vocabulary through social media. However, it is
said that students have trouble with their time management in academics and social
media because of the social media distraction.

Conclusion
In conclusion, students have to control themselves on time management when it
comes to social media and academics. Social media must only be used for a good
reason in academics and must not always be dependent on social media.

Recommendations
The researcher wants to recommend that the use of social media is acceptable.
However, it must be regulated such as they have to set a certain time limit on their
usage on social media. Aside of the usage, they shouldn’t fully depend on social media
and must also always include books and other credible sources.

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REFERENCES

 Dollarhide, Maya (2021) Social Media

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/social-media.asp

 Molla, Rani (2021) Pointing Less, Pointing More, and Tired of It All: How the
Pandemic Has Changed Social Media
https://www.vox.com/recode/22295131/social-media-use-pandemic-covid-19-
instagram-tiktok?fbclid=IwAR2DkjsPIi
5aG82zpQHWWpSWoOD8paKwi_hTybBx5mOQtVin9iF3Yt9jfI

Social Media definition

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social media?
fbclid=IwAR14FXi6Zaat9Qw8XJmWZEmvhEzn9OzmakgWF99nq8iiAJtgq7BymHcXjOM
Ubiquitous meaning
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/ubiquitous
What is TikTok?
https://www.webwise.ie/parents/explained-tiktok/#:~:text=TikTok%20is%20a
%20social%20media,share%20them%20across%20a%20community.
What is Pinterest?
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Pinterest#:~:text=Pinterest%20is%20a
%20social%20curation,pin%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9Cinterest.
%E2%80%9D&text=Pinterest%20was%20founded%20by%20Ben%20Silbermann%2C
%20Paul%20Sciarra%20and%20Evan%20Sharp.
What is Reddit?

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https://searchcio.techtarget.com/definition/Reddit#:~:text=Reddit%20is%20a
%20social%20news,words%20%22I%20read%20it.%22
What is Facebook?
https://www.yourdictionary.com/facebook
What is Twitter?
https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/Twitter#:~:text=Twitter%20is%20a%20free
%20social,broadcast%20short%20posts%20called%20tweets.&text=Tweets%20and
%20replies%20to%20tweets,settings%20for%20Twitter%20are%20public.
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/38701186/1033-4357-1-PB-with-cover-page-
v2.pdf?Expires=1639491585&Signature=G2mh2zlpzCJtj86vio~OV~3jmaufc1j4wRKUm-
GNxeGCkF3KXMxIS332bUk6WiLMvHbORhvLod-yqghKpkI-
r23KqY74aKbiVnz6rXak4TJVxDpWAPPGV6J9BxslVtiaEhh4mqjjBFYIJ60584SM-
YcSl9NM9EUK-9CvOHGtdvZWcnsDE0JCYEiLKMfKzqjPQbeTmAeyUXStkoYT0-
ulHVOM9y7cLgUcH0HMZIVd4Jb87VbtCOaTJ0MCyy2hFmHtD6uRItamq~KY7TG8TK0t7TIr
B458-zcPcGj5qCg1zPKflGdSRohIxn5gcyA4oYJj6NNP~TnAXu5x0hLt~IKBeA__&Key-Pair-
Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

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 APPENDIX
Survey Questionnaire

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 CURRICULUM VITAE

I. Personal Data
Name: ARYANNA QUINTO
Grade Level: Grade 10
Formal Picture Here
Age: ___ years old
Birthdate:
Civil Status: Single
Address:
Place of Birth:
Email Address:
Religion:
Citizenship:
Father’s Name:
Mother’s Name:

II. Educational Background

Junior High School: Vita Basic Education School

Zone 10, Impantao, Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City
(2018-present)
Elementary:

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(2012-2018)

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