INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE ON PHYSICS EDUCATION STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY OF JOS, NIGERIA

Social media has transformed how students access information, collaborate, and learn. Physics education students have leverage platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter among others for resource sharing, peer discussion, and knowledge creation. The study examines the influence of social media usage on physics education students' achievement in the University of Jos, Nigeria. It focused on students’ access to educational contents, collaborative learning and potential distractions. The design of the study was a cross-sectional survey research design. Four research questions were raised to guide the study. Two tools were used to gather data for the study; comprehensive and well-structured questionnaire titled a Social Media Usage Questionnaire (SMUQ) and a Physics Education Students’ CGPA. The sample of the study consisted of 97 Physics Education students selected from the population of students in 100L to 400L. The research questions were answered using simple percentages, means and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that the Physics Education students’ patterns of social media use were associated with measurable differences in their academic achievement scores. Social media was found to facilitate students’ resource access and collaboration while its excessive use for non-academic purposes correlated with diminished academic performance. These findings give awareness of the role of social media on physics education students and provide insights for educators and policymakers.