A Model for Understanding Educational Facebook Use

Abstract

There are numerous types and variations of social networking web sites, such as MySpace, FB, Hi5, and Cyworld. Of these networks, the most commonly used is FB. Because of the widespread use of FB by youth, its effects on student achievement has recently become one of the most important issues that are curious for families. Therefore, it has become necessary to study the use of social networking sites for educational purposes and their related variables. In the present study, the variables that affect the educational use of FB and the relationships among these variables are examined and presented through a model. In the current study, data are collected from undergraduate students in the College of Education at an Anatolian university in Turkey. The participants consist of 1,066 undergraduates—65% are female (n = 691) and 35% male (n = 375). The result shows that knowledge of these variables enables us to largely understand the educational use of FB by individuals. In conclusion, it was seen that students who use FB for educational purposes more have higher GPAs. These students use FB more frequently but they spend less time on it. Also, they have fewer FB friends than students who have low GPAs.