The Impact of TikTok on Academic Motivation among University Students in Malaysia

The Impact of TikTok on Academic Motivation among University Students in Malaysia

Aasha Ravi

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Psychology (Hons.)

School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management, Taylor’s University

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.803169

Received: 13 March 2024; Accepted: 20 March 2024; Published: 19 April 2024

ABSTRACT

TikTok has cemented itself as one of the most frequently used social media platforms in Malaysia. The majority of its users are predominantly university students and young adults. As such, many aspects of these students’ lives including their academic motivation can be impacted by TikTok. Nevertheless, past studies on this topic have reported mixed findings and there is a lack of studies conducted on this subject in Malaysia. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among university students in Malaysia. The instruments used to collect data were the Social Media Engagement Scale for Adolescents (SMES-A) and the Brief Regulation of Motivation Scale (BRoMS). A total of 89 undergraduate students in Malaysia who are TikTok users were recruited as participants for this study. The data was analysed using a linear regression. The results of the analysis showed that there was no significant influence of TikTok on academic motivation. Certain personality traits and other internal factors such as intrinsic motivation could have contributed to the findings of this study. Although this study has helped in filling up the research gaps, there were several limitations that were identified mainly the small sample size and the other factors that could influence the findings which were not looked into. This study recommends that future studies research other factors such as personality traits and intrinsic motivation as well as employ mixed methodology with a larger sample size.

Keywords: TikTok, academic motivation, university students

INTRODUCTION

Background of Research

With the advent of social media, it has slowly but surely evolved into an indispensable element nowadays (Chen & Xiao, 2022). The impact of social media is evident in multiple spheres namely technology, communication, economy and most significantly education (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021). Since students grow up in this technological era, it is undeniable that social media platforms heavily influence them so much so that these platforms are now a necessary feature in their lives (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021). As such, social media is widely known among these groups of individuals (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021).

During the days of the pandemic, when the education system in the country gravitated towards online learning, the use of social media platforms became more widespread and impactful (Chen & Xiao, 2022). More and more students began utilising these platforms in attending online classes, meetings and presentations.

On the same note, TikTok became more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic establishing itself as one of the most preferred social media platforms compared to other available platforms, namely Google and Facebook (Yélamos-Guerra et al., 2022). TikTok generally is a series of short videos which last between fifteen seconds to one minute (Yélamos-Guerra et al., 2022). These videos are an effective outlet for sharing interesting and creative content on a plethora of topics ranging from dancing, shopping and fashion (Yélamos-Guerra et al., 2022). As far as Malaysia is concerned, there are a whopping 19.3 million TikTok users who are aged 18 and above (Kemp, 2023). This figure highlights a skewed number whereby most of the TikTok users in Malaysia are teenagers and young adults (Hao et al., 2022). TikTok appeals to this demographic especially university students because it is fun, entertaining and it helps them to relax (Rathy, 2023).

This said, the usage of social media platforms such as TikTok has been found to bear either a positive or negative impact on students especially their motivation to study and complete academic-related tasks (Barton et al., 2018). This is a crucial element to be studied since it has proven to be a significant factor in determining the academic excellence and performance of any student (Barton et al., 2018). Academic motivation is closely associated with effort regulation, which means how an individual persists in completing a specific task, the effort put into finishing the task, as well as being focused on that particular task and not spending time on other interesting activities (Richardson et al., 2012, as cited in Barton et al., 2018).

The pros of social media platforms namely TikTok are that they can function as a promising tool for supporting motivation and engagement among undergraduate students (Roblyer et al., 2010). It offers new opportunities for communication, collaboration, and networking that can be leveraged to enhance students’ learning experiences (Roblyer et al., 2010).

Studies have also shown that social media platforms are useful when it comes to learning because they offer users a world of easily accessed information (Azizi et al., 2019). Due to these benefits derived from using social media platforms, studies have recommended that university students begin utilising these platforms as a form of learning since it can turn them into more motivated learners (Azizi et al., 2019; Wu, 2015). Apart from this, it has been found that young adults become more motivated to do their daily tasks since TikTok videos help them overcome the stressors of daily life (Hao et al., 2022).

On the flip side, it has also been reported that young adults, specifically university students can become addicted to TikTok (Mekler, 2021, as cited in Rathy, 2023). Consequently, they end up procrastinating and becoming less motivated to complete their important tasks (Mekler, 2021, as cited in Rathy, 2023). This is because as the time spent on TikTok increases, the more likely the individual will lose track of time (Mekler, 2021, as cited in Rathy, 2023).

Problem Statement

In spite of its status as one of the most prominent social media platforms in Malaysia with an estimated 59.5% of users comprising mostly young adults (Howe, 2023), there are still not many studies conducted on the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among university students in the Malaysian context (Adnan & Morat, 2022). Having said this, the majority of past studies focused on samples from countries such as Vietnam and the United States of America. Consequently, these findings do not present a comprehensive conclusion on this subject.

Apart from this, the available literature on this topic presents mixed findings. Some studies have reported TikTok having a positive impact on academic motivation with it being a helpful learning tool whereby it can improve students’ motivation to learn (Gao et al., 2023). As such, teachers can utilise this social media platform as a teaching aid in the learning process (Gao et al., 2023). Additionally, when TikTok is employed as a learning tool, it can help to increase the level of students’ motivation and performance (Literat, 2021, as cited in Gao et al., 2023).

On the other hand, TikTok has also been found to be addictive because of the content available on this platform (Yang, 2023). The users of TikTok are constantly bombarded with interesting videos that are highly entertaining (Qin et al., 2022). Moreover, the appeal of TikTok is more widespread among the younger generation because these young individuals have less self-control (Yang, 2023). As a result, once they become addicted to TikTok, they lack the motivation needed to carry out and complete tasks in life, namely, studying for examinations and doing their assignments (Rathy, 2023).

Additionally, there are studies which reported that TikTok did not impact academic motivation among students (Saha & Guha, 2019; Trang, 2023). TikTok is perceived by university students as a social media platform that does not impact aspects of their daily lives including studies (Saha & Guha, 2019).

With these mixed findings and a limited number of studies that have been conducted within the local context, the understanding of the impact of TikTok on academic motivation is still unclear and vague. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among university students in Malaysia.

Significance of Research

This study can help university students in Malaysia as it is able to give a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of TikTok on their academic motivation. For instance, they can utilise the findings of this study to determine what affects their academic motivation. Based on the findings of this study, the students can become aware of the possibility of being addicted to this social media platform as such, they can take the necessary steps to cut back on the usage of TikTok in their lives. On the other hand, TikTok can also be used by students as a tool to elevate their academic motivation.

Similarly, universities can also benefit from this study when its findings are implemented and applied at various levels of the learning process in the university. For example, if the usage of TikTok has an impact on academic motivation among university students, then the universities can turn TikTok into a motivation aid that will help to boost the academic motivation of university students.

Last but not least, the findings of this study can add on to the existing literature on this subject, which is somewhat limited. As such, it will not only provide a clearer picture of the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among university students but also become a valuable resource for future studies on this particular subject in Malaysia and other parts of the world.

Research Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among university students in Malaysia.

Hypothesis

The null hypothesis is that there is no significant influence of TikTok on academic motivation among university students in Malaysia. The alternate hypothesis is that there is a significant influence of TikTok on motivation among university students in Malaysia.

Conceptual And Operational Definition

TikTok

TikTok is conceptualised as a social media platform which allows its users to create and view short yet unique videos which employ a variety of filters and music (McCashin & Murphy, 2022). The operational definition of TikTok that is applied in this current study is that it is a social media app that appeals to users with its wide range of content. This study primarily focused on the engagement that TikTok users have with this platform such as the number of hours spent on this platform daily.

Academic Motivation 

The conceptual definition of academic motivation is related to academic-based decisions, engagement in classroom activities as well as persistence in the learning process (Peng, 2021). Moreover, it is also described as behaviours being insisting on completing tough assignments and putting in the effort to master the content matter that is being studied (Abedi, 2008, as cited in Amrai et al., 2011). In this study, the operational definition of academic motivation is the effort put in by an individual and the persistence shown when faced with situations when the individual runs the risk of becoming demotivated in completing academic-related tasks and distracted by other more favourable tasks.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The existing literature offers a few distinct viewpoints regarding the impact of TikTok on academic motivation. Some studies reported that social media platforms mainly TikTok can have a positive influence on a student’s motivation to learn (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021; Liu, 2023). TikTok makes the students more interested to learn through its contents which are engaging and motivational (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021). This is because areas such as the student’s curiosity, creativity and motivation are increased through the use of TikTok in the learning process (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021). As such, TikTok can be an effective learning tool for university students since it taps into the student’s interest and it brings about a higher level of creativity and motivation from the students (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021). Similarly, Liu (2023) also suggested that TikTok should be incorporated in classrooms as it can engage the students as well as motivate them to a higher level of interest in their studies and learning efficiency.

Furthermore, TikTok turns the learning and teaching experiences into open and collaborative ones (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021). This is so since TikTok allows its users to connect to others with like-minded peers via their ideas and resources as well as work with others in learning activities (Chuang, 2016, as cited in Trang, 2023). Therefore, this will significantly facilitate and motivate the students’ learning process (Gulzar et al., 2021). Not only that, Gulzar et al. (2021) also mentioned that the positive effects of social media can be seen in a number of other aspects. The first being that social media presents content on the high achievers, and this will, in turn, motivate the students to emulate these positive behavioural traits (Gulzar et al., 2021). The next aspect is social media offers study materials that are readily accessible (Gulzar et al., 2021).

In addition, the usage of TikTok for learning purposes can help to raise the level of the student’s intrinsic motivation (Gulzar et al., 2021). This is attributed to TikTok being able to generate personalised content that is suited to the student’s needs and interests (Jeong, 2019, as cited in Trang, 2023). Gulzar et al. (2021) also stated that TikTok is a platform which caters to student-centred learning activities and this will then make the students more involved during the learning process.

TikTok can also relieve the students’ stress when they watch videos on this platform (Hao et al., 2022).  Even though the students are well aware of the repercussions of using TikTok, they still continue engaging with this platform because, to them, the pros outweigh the cons since the students are able to unwind and relax when they use TikTok (Liang, 2021, as cited in Hao et al., 2022). This can help them to become more motivated in completing academic-based tasks.

On the flip side, TikTok can have a negative impact on students’ academic motivation (Beñalet et al., 2023; Cao & Tian, 2020; Hao et al., 2022; Mekler, 2021). According to Beñalet et al. (2023), the excessive usage of social media namely TikTok is related to the students’ problems in focusing. They further stated that such platforms distract the students from their studies and cause them to pay attention to non-academic activities instead (Beñalet et al., 2023).  Consequently, students who find it difficult to concentrate and block out distractions from TikTok such as notifications will have a hard time being motivated while working on important tasks (Beñalet et al., 2023a).

Mekler (2020) mentioned that since it is fairly easy for these notifications to reach an individual, this can determine how frequently the individual visits the platform daily. The more notifications this individual receives, the more time is spent scrolling on this platform (Mekler, 2020). Thus more time will be wasted and this will affect the individual’s academic motivation in completing the assignments and doing the revision.

Moreover, TikTok can cause its users to become addicted to it whereby they will not want to disengage from this platform (Mekler, 2020). As a result, the users of TikTok will lose track of time and neglect their responsibilities. This is especially true for university students because they are more likely to become addicted to TikTok and lose their motivation in the process (Mekler, 2020).

Another study conducted by Hao et al. (2022) also yielded similar findings, which explained that young Malaysian adults are affected by the usage of TikTok. In addition, the users of TikTok have been found to lose track of time while neglecting their daily schedule as they have been preoccupied with TikTok (Hao et al., 2022). This social media platform also affects its users’ initial effort and motivation in their studies (Hao et al., 2022).

On top of this, social media platforms are found to be the source of procrastination among university students which will then reduce their engagement and motivation in academic tasks (Imlawi et al., 2015, as cited in Trang, 2023). It is also found that spending too much time on social media platforms especially TikTok will impede the students’ capability to be involved in meaningful learning (Ettisa, 2023).

Additionally, the study conducted by Cao and Tian (2020) concluded that students will have less time to engage in collaborative learning when they spend more time on social media platforms. This implies that social media platforms like TikTok are not helpful for students as they work better for social purposes as compared to academic ones (Cao & Tian, 2020). This finding is inconsistent with previous studies which found that TikTok is an effective learning tool cause of its collaborative nature (Escamilla-Fajardo et al., 2021; Trang, 2023).

However, there are studies which found that TikTok does not have a significant impact on a student’s life including their academic motivation (Saha & Guha, 2019; Trang, 2023). A study by Saha and Guha (2019) reported that the majority of the participants experienced no impact of social media on their lives. Because social media platforms such as TikTok do not influence the students they are able to lead healthier lives in which they can study better and achieve higher academic excellence (Saha & Guha, 2019). Moreover, Skinner (2022) highlighted that in academic motivation, the role played by social media is complicated and multifaceted. This means that the impact of TikTok on academic motivation can either be present or not largely depending on its usage and context (Trang, 2023).

The available literature on this subject mainly focuses on social media and not TikTok specifically. In addition, these studies also look at other variables apart from motivation such as academic performance and attention. Furthermore, there is a lack of studies done on Malaysian samples. Therefore, it was imperative that this study be carried out in order to fill the research gaps in this subject.

Theoretical Framework

There are a number of theoretical frameworks that can explain the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among students. One of these theories is the self-determination theory by Ryan and Deci (2000). According to this theory, every individual has three basic needs. They are competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Ryan & Deci, 2000). This theory further elaborates that individuals want to use TikTok because this platform helps them to achieve competence, autonomy, and relatedness (Chiu, 2021). As the three basic needs are met, individuals are more motivated to use TikTok instead of spending their time completing other important tasks.

Based on the self-determination theory, there are two types of motivation present in an individual; intrinsic and extrinsic (Ryan & Deci, 2000). TikTok allows its users to unwind, seek entertainment, and escape from the burden of everyday living (Ugur & Basak, 2018). As such, these users are intrinsically motivated to spend more time on TikTok, which will then affect their effort and motivation in completing other tasks.

Figure 1. Self-Determination Theory

Note. Adapted from Self Determination Theory and How It Explains Motivation, by S. E. Ackerman, 2018 (https://positive psychology.com/self-determination-theory/). Copyright 2018 by Positive Psychology.com.

The next theory is the social cognitive theory which explains that elements related to personal, behavioural and environmental can affect an individual’s motivation (Luszczynska & Schwarzer, 2015, as cited in Trang, 2023). On top of this, this theory also states that self-regulation and self-efficacy are crucial when it comes to learning (Bandura, 2001, as cited in Trang, 2023). This means that a student who possesses a high level of self-efficacy will persist and be motivated to complete difficult academic-related tasks instead of being distracted by TikTok.

Figure 2. Social Cognitive Theory

Note. Adapted from Review and insight on the behavioral aspects of cybersecurity, by Lahcen et al., 2020, Cybersecurity, 3(1), 1–18. Copyright 2020.

Another framework that explains the impact of TikTok on academic motivation is the expectancy-value theory (Wigfield, 1994). Based on this theory, motivation is influenced by two factors; expectancy and value. Expectancy is defined as the belief of an individual in successfully completing the assigned task (Trang, 2023). Value, on the other hand, is described as how important or relevant a specific task is according to the individual (Trang, 2023). When the individual perceives a task as valuable and believes in being able to succeed in this task, this individual will be highly motivated and not influenced by other external factors such as TikTok.

Figure 3. Expectancy-Value Theory

Note. Adapted from What motivates biology instructors to engage and persist in teaching professional development?, by Mc Court et al., 2017, CBE- Life Sciences Education, 16(3), 1–14. Copyright 2017.

Conceptual Framework

The independent variable in this study is the engagement and usage of TikTok, whereas the dependent variable is the academic motivation among university students. This study investigates the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among university students in Malaysia. The conceptual framework of this study is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. The Conceptual Framework of this Study

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study was a quantitative research. As for the collection of data, the survey method through Google Forms was utilised. This study also employed linear regression to analyse the data.

Samples

In terms of the sample group for this current study, the inclusive criteria are undergraduate students in Malaysia, aged between 18 to 25 years old and are TikTok users. The justification for these criteria is mainly because the majority of TikTok users fall into this age bracket (Hao et al., 2022). As such, this study focused on university students so as to investigate the impact of this platform on their motivation in completing important daily tasks such as finishing their assignments or doing their revisions.

The sample size of this study was 89 participants. With regards to the sampling method, this study employed the purposive sampling method as participants who only met the inclusive criteria were recruited.

Instruments

There were two instruments used to collect the data in this study. The first instrument is the Social Media Engagement Scale for Adolescents (SMES-A) which was used to measure the engagement and usage of TikTok. This scale which was developed by Ni et al. (2020) consists of 11 items with a five-point Likert scale ranging from number one being “strongly agree” to number five being “strongly disagree” (Ni et al., 2020). Even though this scale caters to adolescents, it is still appropriate to be used on university students since none of the items in the scale uses either language or content which is age-specific (Pfeiffen berger, 2021). Additionally, this scale was adapted to correspond with the variable measured which is TikTok. As such, the term “TikTok” had been used in the items. For example, the item “Using social media is my daily habit” would be changed to “Using TikTok is my daily habit”.

There are three subscales in the SMES-A. They are the affective engagement sub scale, the behavioural engagement sub scale and the cognitive engagement sub scale (Pfeiffen berger, 2021). The SMES-A has been reported to show high reliability, with the Cronbach’s alpha of the three factors being all above 0.70 (Ni et al., 2020). Furthermore, this scale is also reliable over time as the retesting of reliability presents a high value (Ni et al., 2020).

The next instrument that was used is the Brief Regulation of Motivation Scale (BRoMS) to measure motivation. The BRoMS was developed by Kim et al. (2018) and it comprises 12 items with a five-point Likert scale ranging from number one being “strongly disagree” to number five being “strongly agree” (Kim et al., 2018). This is a suitable scale because it is equipped to measure the tendencies of university students when self-regulating their motivation as they are doing academic-related work (Kim et al., 2018). The BRoMS has been found to have adequate reliability and overall good validity (Kim et al., 2018).

Data Collection (Procedure)

After obtaining approval from the Taylor’s Human Ethics Committee, a pilot study with a total of 30 participants was conducted to ensure the reliability of the instruments and the feasibility of the study. The reliability of the scales was tested using Cronbach’s alpha. The SMES-A scale consisted of 11 items (α = .88) and the BRoMS consisted of 12 items (α = .92). Participants who met the inclusive criteria were then recruited via social media platforms namely Instagram and Whats App. They were provided with a link to the online survey. This survey contained the participant information sheet as well as the consent form. Before answering the survey, the participants were instructed to read through the information sheet and consent form. This step was important so as to ensure that the participants selected met the inclusive criteria and voluntarily decided to partake in this study. The participants began completing the questions in the survey and this process took approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Once all the questions in the survey had been answered, they would click “submit” and their responses would then be recorded anonymously. Upon the completion of the collection of data, the data was analysed and the report was written.

Ethical Considerations

This study was approved by the Taylor’s Human Ethics Committee before the administration of the survey. In addition, the anonymity and confidentiality of the participants were ensured. The participants information sheet was provided and it contained necessary information on the objectives as well as the purpose of this study. Lastly, the informed consent was also obtained from the participants.

RESULTS

Descriptive Statistics

The descriptive statistics for the participants’ (n = 89) demographic data are shown below in Tables 1, 2, and 3. The majority of the participants were female (n = 74) and Malaysian (n = 81). More than half of the participants were 21 years old (n = 51).

Table 1. Descriptive statistics of participants’ gender

Table 2. Descriptive statistics of participants’ ethnicity

Table 3. Descriptive statistics of participants’ age

The descriptive statistics of the hours spent on TikTok in a day is shown below in Table 4. The majority of the participants spent 1 to 2 hours on TikTok daily (n = 64).

Table 4. Descriptive statistics of hours on TikTok

The frequencies for both of the variables are shown below in Table 5.

Table 5. Frequencies for each variable

A linear regression was conducted to test whether Tik Tok is a predictor of academic motivation among university students. TikTok only explained for 1.5 % of the variance of academic motivation, F(1,87) = 1.34, p = 0.250. The findings are not significant, so there is no relation. Therefore, the null hypothesis is not rejected and the alternate hypothesis is not accepted. The results are as shown below in Table 6.

Table 6. Regression coefficients of TikTok on academic motivation

Note. N = 89.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

The findings of this study are consistent with past studies which found that there was no significant effect of TikTok on academic motivation. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that there are other factors that can influence the impact of TikTok on academic motivation such as the personality traits of the individual. It has been found that neuroticism is closely linked to social media addiction which means that individuals with a higher level of neuroticism are more prone to experiencing excessive social media usage as well as developing social media addiction (Yi et al., 2023). The majority of the participants in this study that is an estimated of 72% reported to only being on TikTok for less than two hours daily. This could mean that most of these participants may not have a high level of neuroticism which in turn shows that they do not use social media excessively. This probably explains why TikTok did not affect their academic motivation level.

Additionally, studies have found that individuals with higher levels of extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness are better at regulating their motivation (Ljubin-Golub et al., 2019). These self-regulated individuals possess the ability to determine their level of motivation whereby they are able to put in more effort and be more persistent in their daily tasks (Wolters, 2003, as cited in Ljubin-Golub et al., 2019). As such, social media platforms are less likely to impact their academic motivation. This suggests that the academic motivation of the participants in this study is not impacted by TikTok because they may know how to regulate it in terms of staying focused and not becoming distracted by more favourable tasks.

On the same note, certain personality traits such as consciousness, openness to experience and neuroticism can affect an individual’s academic motivation (Önder et al., 2014, as cited in Isha & Hashim, 2023). Studies have found that individuals who are intellectually inclined, disciplined and less neurotic will have a higher sense of responsibility which in turn makes them more academically motivated (Ahmadi et al., 2021; Isha & Hashim, 2023).

It has also been concluded that those students with better self-control and who are less impulsive are less likely to be addicted to social media platforms (Li et al., 2021). This is because individuals with higher self-control are better at managing their behaviours thus helping them to resist the impulses to engage with social media platforms such as TikTok while putting off their daily responsibilities (Habermann, 2021). Since the results of this study revealed that TikTok does not impact academic motivation among the participants, it is possibly due to the personality traits of the participants which are highly self-controlled and less impulsive.

Students’ academic motivation can also be influenced by either internal or external factors which makes it a complex construct (Trang, 2023). Intrinsic motivation being the main internal factor can play a role in affecting the students’ academic motivation. When individuals perceive a task as engaging and relevant to their needs, they will put in more effort and become more determined to complete the given task (Augustyniak et al., 2016). Consequently, students with higher levels of intrinsic motivation will have more persistence in doing academic-related tasks as compared to their peers who are not intrinsically motivated (Augustyniak et al., 2016).

Implication

This study has generated several significant implications. First, since the research conducted in the past on this topic had reported inconclusive findings, this study helps in filling up the research gap on this particular topic. Next, due to the lack of studies on this topic that are carried out in Malaysia, this study can contribute to addressing this issue and encourage more research to be conducted locally. Additionally, this study also aids in learning more about the university students in Malaysia including what affects their academic motivation. This can help them in many other important aspects such as the completion of assignments, preparation for examinations and study habits.

LIMITATION AND RECOMMENDATION

With regard to the limitations, the small sample size of 89 participants may not be representative of the diverse population of university students in Malaysia which could limit the ability to draw broad conclusions. Therefore, future studies ought to employ a larger sample size so as to enhance the generalis ability of the findings.

The next limitation is that there may be other factors not accounted for that could contribute to the impact of TikTok on academic motivation. Consequently, studies conducted in the future could look at the role played by personality traits as previous studies have suggested that personality can influence the academic motivation of students (Costa & McCrae, 1992; Komarraju & Karau, 2005; Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham, 2003, as cited in Hazrati-Viari et al., 2012).

Another limitation of this study is that self-report questionnaires were used. Hence, it is recommended that future studies carried out should use mixed methodology to gather the data so as to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of TikTok on academic motivation.

CONCLUSION

This study investigated the impact of TikTok on academic motivation among university students in Malaysia. It was reported that TikTok did not significantly influence academic motivation. This could be attributed to other factors that could play a role in impacting academic motivation such as certain personality traits and the intrinsic motivation of the individual. This study had produced significant implications mainly in addressing the research gaps on this topic. Several limitations were highlighted such as the small sample size and not looking into the other factors that can affect academic motivation. Suggestions for future studies include utilising a larger sample size, studying other possible factors playing a role in influencing academic motivation and using mixed methodology.

DECLARATION

I have read and understood the regulations of Taylor’s University concerning plagiarism. I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person nor material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of the university or other institute of higher learning, except where due acknowledgement has been made in the text.

Signature             :

Name                    : Aasha Ravi

Date                      : 3rd December 2023

ID Number           : 0344298

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The completion of this study would not be possible without all the help, guidance and support from Ms. Rajalakshmi A/P Ganesan, my supervisor, Dr Hiran Shanake Perera Weerasinghe Arachchige for the valuable comments that enabled me to improve my dissertation and the participants for their time and input. Most importantly, I would like to express my gratitude to my family namely my parents and two elder brothers. Let me also mention my best friends who were there from the infancy of this study right up to its fruition.

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