Department of Information Studies
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Browsing Department of Information Studies by Subject "Academic Performance"
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Item Effects of Social Media Use on the Academic Performance of Students of Public Tertiary Institutions in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Dadzie, O.S.O.Social media has become ubiquitous in today’s globalized world as a result of its valuable role in communication and information sharing. It appeals to people from all walks of life, particularly students, for a variety of purposes irrespective of some negative effects that their use may have on their academic performance. This study investigated the effects of social media use on the academic performance of students of public tertiary institutions in Ghana, with University of Education, Winneba (UEW) and University of Cape Coast (UCC) selected for case study. The study investigated social media platforms and their usage among students, the reasons or purposes for students’ use of social media, the time students spent on social media and the amount of time they spent studying, students’ GPA and the number of social media platforms they subscribed to, the difference in social media usage rate in terms of faculties and the effects of social media use on students’ academic performance. The theoretical frameworks adopted for the study were Bandura’s Social Learning Theory and Katz’s Uses and Gratification Theory. Using a survey research methodology, a sample size of 400 Level 300 students were selected, out of which 390 (97.5%) responded to the questionnaire that were used to collect data. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select respondents from three faculties in each university - Social Sciences, Sciences and Education. Data was analysed using SPSS, while some hypotheses were tested using chi-square to find out relationships among variables. The study revealed that all the students who participated were social media users and there was no significant difference in social media usage rate in terms of faculties. Also, the time students spent on social media affected the amount of time they spent studying. Furthermore, the findings showed that the number of social media platforms subscribed to did not affect students’ GPA, while the amount of time spent on social media platforms did not affect students’ academic performance. The study recommended to university management the integration of topics on the pros and cons of social media use in the classroom in various courses of study by instructors and implementers, restriction of social media use during class sessions by students, and provision of facilities that support the use of technology including social media. It also recommended to students to allot quality time for studies and use of social media for the right purposes, especially their academic studies.Item Reading Habits and Its Effect on Academic Performance of the Students of St. John’s Grammar Senior High Secondary School, Accra(University Of Ghana, 2016-07) Pobi, E.K.Habitual reading is considered as one of the most important exercise for enhancing one’s academic performance. Regular reading increases one’s vocabulary and ability to think, improves one’s verbal and writing abilities, and broadens one’s horizon Thus, it is important for students to adopt the reading culture for improved academic performance. The main objectives of the study is to: investigate the reading habits of students of St. Johns Grammar Secondary School, find out the types of materials they read, ascertain their purposes for reading and their perception of reading habits and academic performance, and lastly to find out factors that affect or hinder their reading habits. The study used the survey methodology and questionnaire as the main data collection instrument. Simple random sampling was used to select 133 students to participate in the study. Out of the 133 copies of questionnaires distributed, 131 were completed giving a response rate of 98.5%. The data was analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Frequency tables were used to present the findings. The findings of the study revealed that the majority of the respondents acknowledge the importance of reading, read story books, textbooks and class notes. Their purposes for reading included acquiring acknowledge, learning new things, improving their vocabulary and grades, passing examination and for pleasure. The participants unanimously agreed that reading habits have a direct influence on students’ academic performance. The study recommended that both parents and school authorities must encourage students to read habitually for increased academic performance. The school library must be stocked with current, relevant and interesting books to increase library use and love for reading among the students.Item Social Media Network Participation And Academic Performance In Selected Senior High Schools In Accra, Ghana(University of Ghana, 2015-07) Mingle, J.This study looks at social media network participation and academic performance in senior high schools. The study was aimed at identifying social media network sites and their usage among students, how students networked and participated on social media networks, time invested by students on social networks, the effects of social media on students’ grammar and spelling as well as the effects of social network participation on the student’s academic performance within the context of the social learning and the use and gratification theories. To achieve the objectives of the research, the study used a mixed method approach which involved the survey of students in four senior high schools and interviews of heads of the senior high schools. The study revealed that majority of respondents used Whatsapp and Facebook for making friends and chatting. In addition, majority of respondents experienced negative effects such as poor grammar and spelling, late submission of assignment, less study time and poor academic performance due to the heavy participation on social media networks. Furthermore, there was a high addiction rate among students in the usage of social media networks. Nevertheless, there were cases where others experienced improvement in their readings skills as a result of participation on social media networks. Also, respondents shared ideas, discussed and shared examination questions among themselves on social media networks. The study recommended the strict enforcement of Ghana Education Service rule on electronic devices usage in schools, promotion of social media usage for academic purpose, counselling for addicted students and the use of the right grammar and spelling when participating on social networks.