Factors Influencing Usage of Social Media Among Students for Academic Purposes-A Case Study in Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IV, April 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

Factors Influencing Usage of Social Media Among Students for Academic Purposes-A Case Study in Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh

Thasnim Humida¹, Md Habib Al Mamun^2
1Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh
²School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Penang, Malaysia

Abstract
The objective of this study is to explore significant factors affecting behavioral intention and actual use of social media by university students for educational purposes. The technology acceptance model (TAM) was employed as a research framework in this study. The study examined the research framework by structural equation modeling (SEM). The framework experimented with the data obtained from 142 students of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh. The findings of this research suggested that a) attitude(AT) and perceived usefulness(PU) have a direct and positive influence on behavioral intention(BI) to use social media by students for academic purposes, b) perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use(PEOU) have a direct influence on Attitude (AT) to use social media by students for academic purposes, and c) behavioral intention(BI) significantly influence on Actual System Use (AU) to use social media by students for academic purposes. The findings have a practical implication for an educational institutions to enhance the effective use of social media among the students for various educational purposes.

Keyword: TAM, Social Media, Behavioral Intention, Actual System Use, Internet

1.INTRODUCTION

1.1Background

Today, social media has become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. Over the last decade, the exponential growth of social media has revolutionized the way we live. It is now widely used media not only among working people but also among students. In Bangladesh, more or less 40 million people have been using social media. Most university-level students have at least one social media account like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. Students not only use this social media for entertainment, but also, they have been using it for their academic purposes. Students are now more into participatory digital culture.Social media allow students to obtain more helpful information and connect with learning groups, making education more convenient. Social media enable students, faculty, and institutions to build an educational community to share information and resources. Although the use of social media for academic purposes is prevalent in the developed world, however, this concept is largely new in Bangladesh. Therefore, this new innovative approach will undoubtedly pose a challenge to students in terms of the effective use of social media in the

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