Breaching Learners’ Social Distancing through Social Media during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Muhammad Zaheer Asghar, Ayesha Iqbal, Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen and Elena Barbera
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Muhammad Zaheer Asghar: Department of Education, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
Ayesha Iqbal: Department of Engineering, Bedford College, Bedford MK42 9AH, UK
Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen: Department of Education, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
Elena Barbera: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, 08018 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-21

Abstract: Higher education has been shifted toward blended learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. An increase in social media usage intensity and reduced face-to-face interaction due to the COVID-19 pandemic urged instructional communication researchers to revisit the dynamics of learners’ group development in terms of their socialization and academic performance during the COVID-19 crisis. This research aimed to determine the mediating role of social media sociability between face-to-face socialization and academic performance of higher education students in blended learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also the aim of the study to determine the moderating effect of social media usage intensity on social media sociability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the students ( n = 340) enrolled in science teacher education departments of universities in Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for multivariate analysis. Results revealed that face-to-face socialization gave an essential start to develop a learning group. However, when face-to-face socialization was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was mediated by social media usage in blended learning environments to increase their socialization and academic performance during the crisis. The findings of the study are useful for higher education institutions to adopt social media strategies for students’ socialization during the crisis.

Keywords: academic performance; blended learning; COVID-19; social media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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