Social Media-Mediated Instruction and Academic Achievement in Business Education: A Facebook-Based Quasi-Experimental Study in Nigerian Colleges of Education

Abstract

This study examined the effect of social media-mediated instruction on the academic achievement of NCE II Business Education students in Nigerian Colleges of Education, using Facebook as the main instructional platform. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-randomised control group design was used with two intact classes (N = 182). Students in the experimental group (n = 50) learned through a closed Facebook group, while the control group (n = 132) received lecture-based instruction. Data were collected with the Business Education Practicum Achievement Test (KR-20 = 0.83) and analysed using mean scores, analysis of covariance and multiple classification analysis. Students exposed to the Facebook-mediated approach achieved significantly higher post-test scores than those taught through lectures, and the treatment effect was statistically significant (F(1,177) = 77.68, p < .05). Gender and treatment-gender interaction effects were not significant. The findings show that familiar social media platforms can serve as viable instructional environments in teacher education when used with clear academic tasks, lecturer guidance, and sustained interaction. The study concluded that guided use of Facebook can enhance achievement without disadvantaging either gender, and that familiar platforms can be repurposed for learning if lecturers are trained, institutional expectations are clear, and students are supported with access and digital discipline.