Effect of Social Media on Institutional Performance in the Nepalese Higher Education Institutions: A Qualitative Analysis Using the Extended UTAUT Model
Jul 2026· Nepal Journal of Multidisciplinary Research· Vol 9, pp. 23-48· 0 citations
TL;DR
The research concludes that social media plays a vital role in enhancing institutional performance, while users actively verify and filter information to maintain credibility and ensure the reliability of shared content.
Abstract
Background: In this high-tech era, social media has become a major part of daily life everywhere, and people of all ages use it extensively. So, the study aims to examine the effect of social media on institutional performance under the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model.
Methods: The study adopted a qualitative research design, incorporating 68 key informants for interviews using purposive sampling through a semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews were conducted with administrators, faculty members, employees, and students of Tribhuvan, Kathmandu, Purbanchal, Pokhara, and Rajarshi Janak University.
Results: The research found that social media use behaviour in the higher education institutions was highly affected by performance expectancy, with participants answering enhancements in communication, collaboration, and knowledge management that reinforced performance. Additionally, according to key informants, about 60% of social media content was deemed trustworthy, while 40% was considered deceptive, underscoring the need for information filtering and verification. Social media sites were generally thought to be user-friendly, despite sporadic connectivity and technological problems. Institutional support, peers, references, favourable circumstances, motivation, cost-benefit analysis, and habitual characteristics all had an influence on adoption and use.
Conclusion: The research concludes that social media plays a vital role in enhancing institutional performance, while users actively verify and filter information to maintain credibility and ensure the reliability of shared content.
Novelty: Several Nepalese studies have discussed information credibility concerns, but this study uniquely demonstrates how users actively validate information to maintain institutional integrity and increase performance.
Social media is used increasingly by students all around the world, which is shifting the way they access information, contact with friends and join in academic activities. This research study is an attempt to examine the usage of social media in learning procedure of the students of Shree Tribhuvan Janata Secondary School, Dailekh district of Karnali Province, Nepal with special reference to its efficiency, educational advantages and issues. This study employed a mixed method research technique, standardized and structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative as well as qualitative data from 100 secondary level students and 20 teachers of the school. Qualitative data were gathered through focus group interviews, discussions and recorded document analysis. The results show that the students of the school regularly use platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp for free time and leisure period, academic objectives; such as gaining information, cooperative learning and accessing educational resource and materials. Social media can improve students’ engagement, inspiration and self-directed education and learning, but there are challenges such as variation of access to tools, technology, distraction, misrepresentation and concerns about safety on the internet and its privacy. The study suggests that social media can be a positive educational tool, provided the suitable direction, digital literacy and institutional support. The research presents empirical evidence towards the function of social media in classroom learning especially in rural and resource limited educational scenarios.
Sapana Pradhan· Journal of Musikot Campus· 0 citations
In an era where digital technologies permeate nearly every aspect of daily life, social media emerged as a powerful yet contentious tool in education. This study aims to addresses the broader challenge of understanding how social media reshapes student learning experiences, both positively and negatively, in an increasingly interconnected and information-driven world. The theoretical framework of this qualitative study is built on the principles of connectivism and Phillips’s Model. The data sources for this study include interview data from 30 participants in the United States and China, as well as university policy documents related to social media usage from universities in both countries. The study applies inductive strategy and Bartlett and Vavrus’s Comparative Case Study as analytical framework to reveal that social media has transformed learning practices by making information more accessible, facilitating collaboration, and fostering new learning environments. However, the study also highlights concerns about the cognitive impacts of social media, such as reduced attention spans, superficial engagement with content, and the spread of misinformation. Additionally, the phenomenon of the “information cocoon” effect, where students are exposed primarily to information that aligns with their existing beliefs, was found to be prevalent across both countries. The study’s findings suggest that the impact of social media on student learning is shaped by the cultural, social, and political environments in which it is used, offering insights into how different educational contexts navigate this digital landscape. This research contributes to the ongoing dialogue about the dual nature of social media in education, underscoring the need for a balanced approach that maximizes its benefits while mitigating its drawbacks.
The rapid expansion of social media has transformed children's communication, learning, and social interaction while raising concerns about its implications for moral development. This study aimed to examine social-media use among minors, its impact on their moral development, and the role of parents and religious education in preventing negative effects in Kelebuh Village, Kebon Alit Hamlet, Central Lombok Regency, Indonesia. A qualitative approach with a case study design was employed from November 2025 to May 2026. Data were collected through observations, semi-structured interviews, and documentation involving nine minors aged 7–13 years, parents, a Qur'anic teacher, and a community leader. Data were analyzed through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification, supported by source, technique, and time triangulation. The findings indicate that minors used social media for approximately 2–4 hours on school days and 5–6 hours during holidays, primarily for entertainment, communication, information, gaming, and learning. Social media provided positive opportunities for knowledge acquisition, communication, and access to religious materials, but excessive use was associated with decreased learning discipline, delayed prayer, reduced concentration in Qur'anic learning, changes in speech and behavior, and diminished family, peer, and community interaction. Parental supervision, religious education, Qur'anic learning, and community support were important mechanisms for mitigating these negative influences. The study concludes that social media is not inherently detrimental to children's morality; its effects depend substantially on usage patterns, supervision, and value-based guidance.
Muhammad Hapipudin, Muhammad Hapipudin Program, Studi Pendidikan et al.· Journal of Islamic Religious...· 0 citations
The development of social media has changed the way people communicate globally, thereby creating new and different opportunities for acquiring, disseminating knowledge and making friends or role models, particularly among young adults. This study examined the role of social media communication in shaping entrepreneurial intentions among students in tertiary institutions in Lagos State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study was to examine how social media platforms enhance students’ access to entrepreneurial knowledge and opportunities in Lagos State, evaluate the impact of social media communication on students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy and motivation, propose strategies for leveraging social media to foster sustainable entrepreneurial intentions among students. The study focused on three theories: Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977), and Uses and Gratifications Theory. A descriptive research design was adopted and survey method was employed. Data were collected from 392 respondents out of a total of 396 students selected using the purposive sampling technique from University of Lagos and Federal College of Education, Akoka, through the use of a structured questionnaire that was based on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree). Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were used to analyse the data. The results revealed that Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, in particular, served as powerful enablers of entrepreneurial knowledge acquisition, self-efficacy, and intention, while at the same time posing risks through misinformation and idealised narratives, with the mean score ranging from 4.06 to 4.59, students strongly agreed that social media enhance exposure to business ideas, success stories, entrepreneurial pages, and training opportunities in particular, the mean score of 4.79 indicated that social media communication markedly strengthened confidence in problem- solving and inspired initiative-taking, Mean scores of 4.05–4.39 also show strong agreement that idealised success stories, exaggerated wealth portrayals, and misleading advice create unrealistic expectations and distort decision- making. In conclusion, it is evident that social media platforms serve as a powerful tool that fasten entrepreneurial intentions while also posing risks of misinformation. The study recommends that, official social media pages that focuses on entrepreneurship and integrated digital literacy/social media tools should be established into the institutions curricula.
A. Omotosho, Patience Onogbaloria Omotosho· Journal of Information, Comm...· 0 citations
One of the evolutions of Information Technology is social media. The contemporary youth
live in a world dominated by social media, thus, many of their behaviours, experiences, as
well as opportunities, are determined by their involvement in the use of social media. This
study examined the “Perceived Influence of social media on the Social Behaviour of the
Students of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo state. The objectives
and research questions of the study were developed to find out the knowledge, usage,
preferences, purposes and perception of the influences of social media on the social
behaviour of the students. Two previous studies which relate to the topic were reviewed. The
study was anchored on two Media Effects theories of Communication; Cultivation Analysis
Theory and the Social Learning Theory. The Survey research design was adopted with 390
respondents as sample size. Data collected through questionnaire were analysed using
descriptive and inferential statistics. The study's findings show that social media builds peer
relationships among youths, and has both negative and positive influence on their behaviour.
Negative impacts include; having no concept of privacy and encouraging exposure to
pornography, violence and crimes. The positive influences of social media include;
connection with families and friends, creation of new knowledge, online studies with
schoolmates, relaxation and entertainment. The respondents agreed that the positive
influence of social media on their behaviour far outweighs negative behaviours. Therefore,
close monitor is recommended, to help limit exposure to the negative influences of social
media on the behaviour of the youth while encouraging exposure and maximization of the
positive influences of social media.
Cajetan O. Iheanacho· INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOC...· 0 citations
The characteristics of social media influencers (charismatic personas, storytelling, humour and the use of layman’s terms) have increasingly permeated into higher education, but there has been little empirical research on how the delivery of social media influencers influences the attitudes of students in formal university setting, especially in Southeast Asian settings. The study investigates the attitudes of university students towards the use of influencer’s pedagogical style, based on Petty and Cacioppo’s (1986) Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), which distinguishes between the academic content quality (central route) and the stylistic/persona cues (peripheral route). A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 120 students (70 from Brunei Darussalam and 50 from Bandung, Indonesia) with five-point Likert scales and analysed with SPSS with Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression and independent samples t-text. The reliability of all constructs was very high (α = .908 – .951) The results showed that there was a strong and positive correlation between content quality and attitudes (r = .860) and also between stylistic/persona cues and attitudes (r = .796). The overall model accounted 80.2% of the variance in attitude, with content quality being the more powerful predictor (β = .597) and stylistic/persona cues being a significant independent predictor (β = .363). A significant difference in positive attitudes was found between the Indonesian (M – 3.83) and Bruneian (M = 3.51) respondents. Lastly, the study suggests that the influence-pedagogy approach combine intellectual rigour with entertaining presentations and be applied culturally appropriate to each country’s higher education system.
