Influence of Social Media on Communication Skills and ...

1 International Journal of Education, Learning and Development , , , August 2019 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK ( ) 57 Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online Influence OF Social Media ON Communication Skills AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA 1 Lawrence Femi Ademiluyi, PhD Business and Entrepreneurship Education, Kwara State University,Malete, 1530, llorin, Kwara, Nigeria. 2 Joshua SuleMamman, PhD Department of Business and Entrepreneurship Education, Kwara State University, Malete 1530,Ilorin. Kwara State, Nigeria 3 Oladeji, Ayinde Dauda Departmentof Business Education Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo ABSTRACT: The study assessed the Influence of Social Media on Communication skill acquisition and academic performance of business education students. The study had two specific purposes, three research questions and two hypotheses.)

2 Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 461 respondents. A structured questionnaire tagged Influence of Social Media on Communication Skills and Academic Performance Questionnaire (ISMCSAPQ) was used to collect data from the respondents. The instrument was subjected to face and content validation by three experts with a Cronbach reliability coefficient of Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse the data to answer the research questions while linear regression statistic was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed among others that Social Media use significantly positively Influence Communication Skills and academic performance of business education students in colleges of education. It was concluded that Social Media when used effectively for academic purposes is capable of improving Communication Skills and academic performance of Business Education students in colleges of education.

3 The study is potentially of great significance to teachers and students, enabling them to recognize, accept and deploy Social Media as implements of teaching, learning and skill acquisition. It was recommended among others that students should be encouraged to use Social Media to acquire necessary information while government provide conducive learning environment such as e-library for academic excellence. KEYWORDS: Social , Media , business, education, Communication , Skills , academic, performance International Journal of Education, Learning and Development , , , August 2019 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK ( ) 58 Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online INTRODUCTION The Social Media is more than just a means of seeking information. The Social Media are used to connect with others, for business or commercial purposes, to make new friends, reawaken old friendships and recover long lost relatives.)

4 The emergence of Social Media simplified the whole process of Communication because they are easy to use (Wetzel, 2010). Social Media comprise activities that involve socializing and networking online through words, pictures and videos. Kaplan and Haelei (2010) defined Social Media as a group of internet-based applications built on the ideological and technological foundations of which allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Social Media tools have been developed in order to maintain, manage and improve Social interactions between people, enable people to access and comment on contents authored by others. These evolving learning environments will in doubt allow students to learn anytime and anywhere (Wetzel, 2010). Social networks may play an important role in raising awareness about the reliable sources of information among the students and society by providing alternative sources of knowledge (Battrawi & Muhtaseb, 2013).

5 Gross (2010) stated that Social Media are means that employ mobile and web based technology to create highly integrative platforms which individuals and community share, create, discuss and modify user generated content. Social Media sometimes called Social networking is a collaboratively produced and shared Media content to network communities. Enang (2014) explained that Social networking sites are applications that enable users to connect by creating personal information profiles allowing friends and colleagues to have access to those profiles, and sending e-mails and instant messages to each other. Giving examples of Social Media , Gupta (2014) in Umoru (2015) posits that Social networking sites include Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, Google+, Internet Forums, Chat rooms and message boards where people meet and discuss topics of interest, Flickr and vimeo, Blogs, Wikis, and Social book marking. Social Media sites launched in 2000 according to Junco and Herbert (2011) were Lunarstom, Six degrees, Cyworld, Wikikedia and Ryze.

6 In 2001, Fotolog, Sky blog and Friendster were launched and in 2003, Muspace, Linkedln, Lastin, and Hi5 came along, In 2004, Facebook Harvard, Dogster and Mixi evolved; and in 2005, Yahoo 360, Youtube, Cyworld and Black Planet emerged. Kaplan and Haelein 2010 in Umoru (2015) categorized Social Media into seven types each indicating the purpose for which it could be utilized: collaborative projects (Wikipedia); Blogs and micro blogs (Twitter); Social news networking sites (Digg and Leakernet);content communities (Youtube and Daily motion); Social networking sites (Facebook); virtual game world; (World of warcraft); and virtual Social world (Second life).There are various categories of Social Media sites used in education which are also useful in business education for enhancing students skill acquisition and academic performance. These include: Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Flickr, Blogs, Twitter and Wiki. For the avoidance of doubt, Weber (2014) reported that in October 2012 alone, users of facebook surpassed one billion.

7 Perhaps, this is the reason that teachers have started thinking differently about the utilization of Social Media tools for education. This has accelerated the pace at which teachers incorporate Social Media into academic curricula. International Journal of Education, Learning and Development , , , August 2019 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK ( ) 59 Print ISSN: 2054-6297(Print), Online ISSN: 2054-6300(Online Communication can be described as the interaction between people. Conventional Communication involves face-to-face interaction, but in Social Media , Communication occurs when someone is responds or comments on others status or initiates conversation with someone else (Othman, Apaudi, & Noah, 2016). Social Media has emerged as one of the basic features of students life. It has revolutionized the way students think and interact and communicate. Students use Social Media as a platform for many activities such as bonding relations, finding lost contacts, discussing common interests and others.)

8 With the existence of smart phones, students have become more attracted to use Social Media in their daily routines. Information and Communication technologies and Social network can be used as effective tools to improve instructional approaches and enhance students academic performance using the online environment. Academic performance as the demonstration of concepts, Skills , ideas and knowledge by a person and proposed that grades clearly depict the performance of a student. Performance can be defined as the amount of useful work accomplished by an individual, compared to the time and resources used. Performance is usually expressed in terms of Grade Point Average. Grade point is the key criterion for graduate and postgraduate selection and employment which is predictive of occupational status (Strenze, 2007). Student academic performance is an index of achievement on the part of individual student from training (Plant, Ericsson, Hill &Asberg, 2005).

9 Students academic performance in business education is important because business education is critical to national development. Business education is a vital program in tertiary institution that has the capacity to bring about the required liberation and stimulation of the citizens for national development. It is an academic program intended to inculcate in the students; understanding, values, knowledge, business Skills , and technical Skills required in the world of work and for teaching other business students (Umoru, 2015). Specifically, the Skills to be learned by business education students are technical, manipulative and thinking habits applied to Social Media tools and machines, tasks, procedures and operations. These Skills are necessary to operate new technologies that Social Media platforms depend on, in the real world of work and are required globally by businesses, employees, and individuals. According to Salome (2012) business education inculcates in its recipients attitudes, knowledge, Skills , and values required in the world of work.

10 Amoor and Udoh (2008) emphasize that business education improves personal qualities and builds the attitudes necessary for adjustment to personal and employment situations and also provides knowledge, Skills and competence for individuals to function well in office occupations and also to create jobs for themselves and others. One can therefore, conclude that a well-trained business educator, would, as a teacher, be able to produce healthy literate, skilled and self-reliant citizens who can participate in the economy as effective and efficient producers of goods and services which business offers. In South Western Nigeria there are colleges of Education which are either owned by the Federal or state governments and are located in both rural and urban areas of the states in order to cater for the educational needs of the people. The study focuses on Influence of Social Media , Skills acquisitions and students performance in business educations in tertiary institutions in South-West Nigeria.