Social media and English language writing performances of a Ghanaian ESL class: The nexus

Abstract

The nexus among social media usage and the English language writing performances of a Ghanaian English as Second Language (ESL) class was investigated in this enquiry. The simple qualitative case study design was used, and the data was collected from a co-educational government secondary school Form 2 General Arts One class in Ghana. A focus group discussion (FGD) guide was employed to elicit the data, and the data were synthesised and analysed using the Data Analysis Spiral. It was evidenced that social media has adversely impacted the students’ English Language learning, as oblivious and non-standard contents have been smuggled into the students’ academic writings and have negatively affected their performances. We recommend that teachers and parents regulate students’ access to social media to restrict them to confined times to prevent them from wasting time on unproductive and non-academic-related activities. Also, stakeholders in education should consider integrating pedagogical practices that leverage social media to engage students.

Keywords:

• English language
• Ghana
• social media
• social networking sites
• students’performances

Public Interest Statement

The importance of improving the standards of English language usage among students of Ghanaian Senior High Schools (SHSs) has been central to deliberations of stakeholders for some time. The advent of social media networks has altered student behaviour greatly with the suspicion that it contributes to lowering the English language performances of students. Consequently, students’ behaviour as regards their patronage of social media demands research attention. Followingly, the impact of social media usage on the English language performances of a class in Fiaseman Senior High School was investigated in this enquiry. It was found that social media has had an adverse impact on English language learning of the students, as unscholarly and ungrammatical contents are smuggled into their academic writings, and have negatively affected their performances. Again, there is a growing trend of addiction among students to social media, which negatively interferes with their study time and concentration on academic work, including but not limited to English language studies. The academic writings and the general usage of the English language by students should be closely monitored by teachers through regular and quality feedback to the students.

1. Introduction

The interplay among the use of social media networking sites and students’ academic performances has received a lot of research attention from scholars (Al-Jarrah et al., 2019; Gettman & Cortijo, 2015; Mensah & Nizam, 2016; Mushtaq & Benraghda, 2018). Social media emerged in the early 2000s and has gained currency in respect of usage, with the youth using it variously in almost all spheres of their lives (Bermudez et al., 2016 Dingjie & Sazalli, 2022). In this direction, numerous definitions of social media have been proffered by scholars (Kahar et al., 2022; Kandpal et al., 2023). Kandpal et al. define social media as the communication that is carried out virtually using networks. On their part, Kahar et al. indicate that social media means joint virtual communication tools.

One way to understand how social media use affects students’ academic performances is through a study of, for instance, how the students make use of social media networking sites in their day-to-day activities, how social media impacts students’ academic lives and, specifically, how the use of social media affects students’ English language performances (Mao, 2014; Raths, 2013; Wohn et al., 2013). A number of studies have been conducted on the effects of students’ use of social networking sites and their English language performances (Dingjie & Kahar et al., 2022; Sazalli, 2022). For instance, using an enhanced Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that included participation, production and the link between them, Dingjie and Sazalli investigated how English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students felt about utilising social media for oral learning. Gender, grade level and family background did not correspond with social media usage and acceptance, according to Dingjie and Sazalli. In a different study, Kahar et al. identified the social media platforms used by students in a higher education institution in relation to the performances of students’ speaking skills through the use of social media, and they discovered that Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp were the most popular social networking sites among the students. Kahar et al. also found that the students’ use of social media networking sites was inimical to the students’ acquisition of English-speaking skills.

Within the Ghanaian space, studies on the interface between social media and students’ performances have largely neglected the nexus between social media and students’ English language writing performances in the Senior High School (SHS) level (Anku, 2017; Kolan & Dzandza, 2018; Mingle & Adams, 2015; Mingle et al., 2016; Owusu-Acheaw & Larson, 2015). For instance, while Anku (2017) explored, described and explained the linguistic features associated with social media and their communicative functions and their effects on Ghanaian university students’ acquisition of academic literacy, Mingle et al. analysed social media and academic performances in both Ghanaian private and public SHSs. This represents a knowledge gap that needs to be filled, especially since English is Ghana’s official language and is an essential component of the country’s school curricula (Naci, 2019). Also, the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which students take after completing their SHS coursework, consists primarily of a written exam (Author). For some time now, Fiaseman Senior High School has had dismal results in the English language component of the WASSCE. In 2016, for instance, out of 427 students who sat for the WASSCE English language paper for the school, none was able to score a grade of A1. Specifically, out of the 427 students who sat for the examination, about 254 had poor grades of D7, E8 or F9. This is a situation worth investigating. Followingly, the study sought to investigate the nexus between social media and the English language performances of a Ghanaian English as Second Language (ESL) class in a co-educational government secondary school, that is, Fiaseman Senior High School. The following research questions guided this enquiry: (1) which social media platforms are the students exposed to? and (2) what are the students’ level of addictiveness to social media and how does it reflect on their English language writing performances?

The rationale behind the conduct of this enquiry is three-fold. First, this study fills a gap in the academic writing environment for SHS students in Ghana. Despite the fact that the WASSCE’s English language component has been tested for decades, there is hardly any empirical research to directly inform stakeholders on the relationship between students’ use of social media and their writing performances in English. This study, therefore, makes a vital contribution by revealing the social media platforms the students are exposed to and the students’ level of addictiveness to social media and how it reflects their English language writing performances. Second, as the first study on the nexus between students’ social media use and their English language writing performances, this study is aimed to serve as a fulcrum for further studies to be conducted into other apposite areas such as the specific writing errors the students make, as a result of their use of social media. Lastly, a comprehension of the social media platforms the students are exposed to and the students’ level of addictiveness to social media and how they reflect on their English language writing performances will position stakeholders such as students, researchers and English language lecturers and successive governments to develop and institute apropos strategies to engender students’ academic writing, especially at the SHS level.

1.1. Context of the study

The study was undertaken in a co-educational government secondary school in the Western Region of Ghana. Precisely, Fiaseman Senior High School (Fiaseman SHS) is one of the secondary schools in Ghana where the English language is taught as a discipline and also used as a medium of instruction, and, likely, it is not an exception when it comes to schools suffering from the adverse effects of student social media usage. Fiaseman SHS is located in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality in the Western Region of Ghana. The school was founded in 1955 by Jonathan Prah Kofi Ainoo who started it as a private secretarial school. It was first called Rosco. After it had been in operation for about five years in the Tarkwa township, the then Chief of Wassa Fiase, Osagyefo Kwamina Ennimil, took steps to get the Government to assist the school. In 1967, the Government took full control of the school’s administration. Osagyefo Kwamina Ennimil I, as part of his commitment towards education, released acres of land at Bankyim for the Government to build blocks for the school. After the necessary infrastructural works had been done, the school was moved to Tarkwa Bankyim, five kilometres from Tarkwa, as Fiaseman Senior High School (https://www.ghschoolsonline.com). The motto of the school is “Labor Omnia Vincit”. According to the 2020 Education Management Information System (EMIS) data, the school runs five disciplines: General Science, General Arts, Business, Home Economics and Agricultural Science. According to the 2020 EMIS data, the school has a student enrolment of 2, 543 and a staff strength of 108, comprising 76 teaching staff and 32 non-teaching staff as of 2021. The school’s mission is “to be a leading school in the training of character and excellence”. Its vision is “to be the best school at developing learners capable of developing themselves and their communities”.

Students in Ghana’s second-cycle institutions, including Fiaseman SHS, take the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), an international test administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). The core curriculum comprises: English language, Integrated Science, Mathematics and Social Studies. Based on their programmes, candidates select certain electives. Agriculture, Business, Technical, Vocational, Visual Arts, General Programme and General Science are available. Candidates are deemed successful if they receive a grade in that subject between A1 and C6. Scores among D7 to F9 are measured weak and may prevent students from being admitted to universities (Author; https://www.waecgh.org/EXAMS/WASSCE.aspx).

Three reasons inform the choice of this school for this enquiry. Firstly, over the years, it has been recording poor results, as far as the WASSCE is concerned, particularly where the English language component is concerned since the examination is mainly a written examination. Secondly, the students’ persistent usage of mobile phones, which has always been on the agenda at the school’s Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, caused the researchers to study the situation in this school. Finally, it is one of the Senior High Schools (SHSs) which has been performing poorly in the English language component of the WASSCE, and social media is perceived to be a key cause.

2. Literature review

2.1. Social media

Research on the social media and its use is not in its infancy (Bermudez et al., 2016; Dingjie & Sazalli, 2022; Faizi et al., 2014; Kahar et al., 2022; Malisuwan et al., 2015; Raths, 2013; Wohn et al., 2013). In this direction, various definitions of social media have been proffered by scholars (Kahar et al., 2022; Kandpal et al., 2023; McGillivray, 2015). McGillivray defines social media as a mode of communication where individuals produce, share, exchange and remark about themselves on various networks. Also, Kandpal et al. define social media as the communication that is carried out virtually using networks. On their part, Kahar et al. indicate that social media means joint virtual communication tools. These definitions suggest that “virtualness” is the key vehicle through which social media interactions can manifest; the implication is that, to be a regular user of social media is to be absorbed in this virtual world.

As regards the types of social media networking sites, Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) put social media into six separate classes. Virtual worlds include blogs and microblogs (Twitter), content communities (YouTube), social networking services (Facebook, 2go, BB Chat), virtual second worlds (Second Life) and virtual gaming worlds (World of Warcraft). According to FitzGerald (2012), social media technology comprises blogs, photo and music sharing, crowdsourcing, email, instant messaging and voice-over. On their part, Trottier and Fuchs (2014) identify 2go, BB Chat, Blogger and Wikia as popular social networking sites. In another study conducted by Bermudez et al. (2016) in developing countries using 164 participants to demonstrate students’ perceptions about the use of social media in learning English, it was found that the most popular social media fora utilised by the students included Edmodo, Google Plus, Google docs and YouTube. In a related study, Kahar et al. (2022) conducted a study to control the social media platforms used by students in the higher cadres of learning and found WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook as the most popular social networking sites used by the students. Within the Ghanaian context, in Owusu-Acheaw and Larson’s (2015) study to assess students’ use of social media and its effect on academic performance of Koforidua Polytechnic students, Facebook was found to be the most patronised social networking site. This was followed by WhatsApp, Twitter, Skype, Myspace and Yahoo Messenger. These findings from the foregoing discourse is suggestive of the fact that there is an array of social media networking sites which individuals, including students, patronise in their day-to-day activities.

2.2. Influence of social media networks on students’ performances

There has been an avalanche of research on both negative and positive effects of students to social media globally (Acheaw & Larson, 2015; Author; Bermudez et al., 2016; Chukwuere, 2021; El-Badawy & Hashem, 2015; Ellore et al., 2014; MehMood & Taswir, 2013; Oguguo et al., 2020). On the plus side, El-Badawy and Hashem conducted a study to determine how social media impacts the academic performance of the younger generation in Egypt and discovered that it has no effect because students still find time to study to get good grades, regardless of the amount of time they spend on social media. Additionally, Oguguo et al. (2020: 1007) examined the impact of senior secondary school students’ use of social media on their academic performance in Nigeria and discovered that they “use social media to make new friends, chat with friends, upload their photos and videos, research about their assignments and other educational materials, stay up to date with latest trends and news and reach out to their classmates.” Oguguo et al. also found that the learners spend two to four hours in a day using these social media networking sites, especially Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube. In a related study by Chukwuere (2021) which was purposed on discovering the impact of social media platforms on first year students’ social interaction in the North-West University in South Africa, it was found that the use of social media improves social learners’ social interaction, engenders physical distance among friends and assists learners in organising meetings. Kandpal et al. (2023), in their enquiry on students’ perception on the patronage of social media for learning purposes found that the students of GBPUAT, Pantnagar in India, used social media chiefly for educational and learning purposes. Social media use equally improved the students’ self-esteem and well-being. As Bermudez et al. (2016: 968) summarises

Students tincreasingly recognise the use of social media as a potent tool for their academic development. It aids in delivery, evaluation and feedback. Their English is improved in one way or another through communication with hundreds of individuals online. A significant improvement is made in presentation, writing, and verbal skills. In a more straightforward method, students learn about various subjects, including English. In order to help their students better comprehend English, teachers also encourage them to engage with others. Parents must unapologetically encourage their kids to use this potent medium in a positive way. While different restrictions on improper usage of social media might be applied to build intervention strategies.

On the negative side, McGillivray (2014) asserts that young people use their readily accessible cell phones to spend more time on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. Even at the expense of other activities like study and employment, many students find it impossible to go more than two to three hours without checking and updating their profiles on these social media sites (McGillivray, 2014). Akram and Kumar (2017) and Owusu and Agatha (2015) assay that students spend hours daily on social media platforms, commenting, tweeting, liking, checking pictures, images and many more. However, social media’s long hours lead to private content exposers to the public (Saravanakumar et al., 2016). At the same time, Gupta and Dhami (2015) suggest that social media platform usage has raised many privacy and security concerns. There may be plausible explanations for why pupils perform poorly in school today. While poor speaker quality can be immediately blamed, it is customary to witness young people chitchatting in delicate and well-organised settings like churches, mosques and lecture halls (Anku, 2017). In a study including 884 students from several secondary schools across Nigeria, Olowu and Seri (2012) found that students in the country spend an excessive amount of time on social networking sites at the detriment of their education. The use of these social networking sites by young people even shows obsession, according to Olowu and Seri. The problem with social media is how frequently and compulsively Nigerian youngsters use it (Olubiyi, 2012). According to Davidson (2014), students waste time having pointless chats and acting in various immoral ways. Students spend almost 24 hours online due to their intense use of social media. As a result, valuable time is squandered that could have been used for academic study and other fruitful networking. According to Anku (2017), statistics show that more than 90% of students in high schools utilise social networking sites. Davidson (2014) avers that as more students become absorbed in social media networks and their online social lives, they lose interest in reading, and, as a result, lack the vocabulary necessary for speaking and writing. It is believed that among students who graduate high school, one in three lacks the language skills and knowledge required to move on to the next stage, such as college or an advanced trade school (Rapacki, 2007). Osharie (2015) also indicates that students dedicate more attention and time to social media over their studies which results into examination failures because of their inability to learn. In addition, Maya (2015) avers that social media use does lead to poor academic performance and less interest in school-oriented endeavours.

In regard to their English language performances, these websites’ use affects students’ grammar and English usage, claim Obi et al. (2012). Oguguo (2020) found an increase in the use of mobile devices by secondary school students, their interest in following trending news and their use of slangs, even when communicating formally with peers and elders. This brings to the fore the problem of students use of unacceptable short forms in academic discourse. Students fail to refrain from doing so in official contexts like classrooms since they are used to using short phrases in chat rooms. They use unusual letters and expressions, such as “4” in place of “for,” “U” in place of “you,” “D” in place of “the,” etc., which could affect the grade they receive in class. The Chief Examiner’s Report for WASSCE (2015–2020) has consistently listed social media influencing students’ expressions in their comprehension and composition writing. Even though students spend a lot of time participating in these activities, social networking sites offer academic and professional networking opportunities that few students are aware of (Cain, 2009). Social networking sites attract students’ attention, but Kandpal et al. (2023) claims they direct it toward inappropriate and non-educational activities, such as useless chitchat. Mingle and Musah (2015) advance that most students in Ghana experience negative effects such as poor grammar spelling, less study time and poor academic performance.

In respect of the influence of social media on students’ writing performances, Belal (2014) explored the influence of social media on writing and speaking abilities of tertiary level students at eight private and public universities in Bangladesh and found, chiefly, that social media utilisation has both negative and positive influence. On the positive side, teachers could use social media to organise group discussions where ideas could be exchanged. On the negative side, the students used short forms of words, incorrect grammar and incorrect sentence structures in their formal writing and speaking. These acts of solecisms have the propensity of affecting their English language performances within the academic discourse community. On their part, Al-Jarrah et al. (2019) studied how students perceived social media in the areas of ease, usefulness and attitude and whether these factors correlated. Al-Jarrah et al. found that social media has the potential to facilitate effective writing of students by increasing students desire to write. In a related study, Shahzadi and Kausar (2020) explored social media’s prospects of enhancing undergraduate students’ English writing competences and found that the students’ writings were improved because they were encouraged to write in a less stressful way through the use of Facebook. In essence, the influence of Facebook usage on their writings was positive. Also, student-teacher interaction was improved. Lakhal (2021) measured students’ social media patronage and explored the relationship between social media and students’ writing among English as a Foreign Language students of a Moroccan university and found that their social media usage made them susceptible to committing writing solecisms. Interestingly, Lakhal also found that social media, when utilised appropriately could enhance students’ writing abilities. From the foregoing, it is evident that social media is a two-edged sword—the use students put it to determines whether it will be detrimental to their academic endeavours or whether it will inure to positive advances in their use of the English language within the academic discourse community. The latter should be a concern to educators because the negatives appear to be outweighing the positives.

2.3. Theoretical framework

The sociocultural theory, as propounded by Vygotsky (1978), is concerned with the functions that participation in social interactions and culturally organised activities play in influencing psychological development. Vygotsky advanced that, “the social dimension of consciousness is primary in time and in fact. The individual dimension of consciousness is derivative and secondary” (Vygotsky, 1979: 30, cited in J. V. Wertsch & Bivens, 1992). That is, mental functioning of a person is not just derivable from social interaction but rather derivable from their interactions with other individuals. In respect of some of the tenets, “any function of the child’s cultural development appears on the stage twice, or on two planes, first the social, then the psychological, first between people as an intermental category, then within the child as an intramental category” (Vygotsky, 1997: 105–106). That is, as learners involve themselves in activities with others, they acquire new knowledge. Also, J. Wertsch (1991), on the second tenet, highlighted that human behaviour, socially and individually, is facilitated by semiotics which means: “language; various systems of counting; mnemonic techniques; algebraic symbol systems; works of art; writing; schemes, diagrams, maps and mechanical drawings; all sorts of conventional signs” (Vygotsky, 1981: 137) and computers and calculators. Applying this to the current study, the students learn or pick up behaviours (English language writing from their interactions with others on social media [intermental]) through the students’ utilisation of social networking sites (semiotic) and then internalise such behaviour (intramental). The results can then be realised in the nature of their academic writings they produce.

2.4. Conceptual framework

The framework, as constructed by the researchers based on the empirical and theoretical literature reviewed in this study (Akram & Kumar, 2017; Anku, 2017; Davidson, 2014; McGillivray, 2014; Mingle & Musah, 2015; Owusu & Agatha, 2015; Vygotsky, 1978), show some constructs that relate to the understanding of social media exposure of students and the level of students’ addictiveness to social media (learning via social interaction with the aid of social media networking sites [semiotics]) and how these two constructs effect the English language writing performances of the students. As shown in Figure 1, under social media exposure of students, students’ awareness of social media platforms, the social media platforms the students are signed up to, their visitations to these social media platforms and their duration of usage of the social media platforms are crucial to enhancing understanding of students’ exposure to social media platforms. Pertaining to students’ level of addictiveness to social media, students’ knowledge of their addictiveness, students’ use of short forms, the frequency of their use of the short forms and the transfer of these short forms into formal academic communication such as examinations which can have a concomitant effect on their academic performances are perceived to be crucial to understanding the students’ level of addictiveness to social media. An understanding of the social media exposure of the students is perceived to inform the understanding of their level of social media addictiveness. This, in turn, is perceived to lead to an understanding of the nexus between students’ social media usage and their English language writing performances.

Figure 1. Social interactions through semiotics (adapted from Vygotsky, 1978).

The figure depicts an understanding of social media exposure to students which will translate into their social media addictiveness that will consequently have impact on students’ performance.

3. Methods and materials

3.1. Research design

The simple qualitative case study design was employed for this study (Creswell, 2013) since it engenders an understanding of social life through the study of targeted groups. A case study is a qualitative research technique that provides an extended period of in-depth analysis of a specific person, program or event. It is frequently referred to as a triangulated research strategy. According to the description, it is a study strategy based on an empirical investigation that examines a phenomenon in its true context. Because the aim of this study was to investigate the development of a bounded system (students’ English language performance), the use of a case study is acceptable. Also, by interacting with the case under study, the researcher is able to observe the phenomenon under investigation in its natural setting. Case study is, thus, appropriate for this enquiry. The study took place in a single site with multiple participants, with the guidance of the following research questions:

1. What social media networks are students most exposed to?

2. What are the students’ level of addictiveness to social media and how does it reflect on their English language writing performances?

The constructivist paradigm shaped the study, aiding the researchers and participants with a collective insight into how social media influences the English language writing performances of students of Fiaseman SHS in Ghana.

3.2. Participants and sampling

The population of this study is all students of Fiaseman SHS. The school had a student population of 2, 543 as of the 2021/2022 academic year. One thousand and ninety-five are male, and 1, 448 are female. The target population comprised Fiaseman SHS Form 2 General Arts One Class. The class, made up of forty-seven (47) students, was targeted because they were among the highest class in the school that offered the English language as a core subject and Literature-in-English as an elective subject at the time of the conduct of this study. Again, observations by some of the researchers suggested that this group possibly have issues with their social media usage, such that it could hamper their English language writing performances.

The researchers selected the study site (The Fiaseman SHS Form 2 General Arts One Class) using the purposive sampling technique. The selection criteria were based on the premise of students’ poor English language performances and because of the assumption that the students’ addictiveness to social media may be a cause of the flop of performance in the English language. There were 7 groups and each group had 7 members, but the last two groups had 6 members. Based on the total number of students, all the groups could not be the same numerically. This made up the 47 student participants in the study. The selection of group members was chosen due to predefined demographic traits, belief and knowledge or experience of participants. The rationale was to obtain diverse in-depth knowledge from participants.

3.3. Procedure and data collection

The study followed the ethical procedures steadily to obtain clearance and approval. The lead researcher sought permission from the Head and the Management of the school and assured them the study posed no risk to the participants. The lead researcher informed the participants about the research and allowed them to opt to be part of the study voluntarily. They were assured of their confidentiality, anonymity and the willpower to bow out anytime they felt like opting out.

An FGD guide developed by the researchers was the primary data collection tool used for this enquiry; it had two main sections that covered the two thematic areas of the study. The first section contained questions on the social media networks the students are exposed to. The second section covered the extent of students’ obsession with social media networks and their effect on their English language writing performances. Focus group discussions are preferred over observation and interview guides because participants are actively encouraged to reply to leader inquiries and other group members’ comments in addition to expressing their own thoughts. Focus groups provide a depth, richness and variety to the conversation that the other types of data collection approaches would, perhaps, lack. Since social media phenomenon is a widespread phenomenon known by numerous number of students due to technological advancements, it was prudent to choose a data collection procedure that would afford the participants the opportunity to share and discuss among themselves, as it depicts the same act on the social media platforms. According to Kervin (2002), FGDs are essential to a study such as this because it is the best data collection instruments in qualitative studies.

In conducting the FGDs, the researchers moderated the sessions held in the school simultaneously on 4^th March, 2021. Each session lasted approximately 50 minutes. Audio recordings and field notes were also taken of the FGD sessions.

3.4. Data analysis techniques

Mugenda (1999) contends that raw data from the field is challenging to interpret, necessitating data management. Data management is about exploring what has been collected in a survey or experiment and making assumptions and inferences (Creswell, 2005). Thematic analysis (TA), a method used for identifying, analysing and interpreting patterns of meaning (“themes”) within qualitative data (Clarke et al., 2015), was used to handle the data. Creswell and Poth’s (2018) Analysis Spiral Plan, as cited in Authors, was applied to the responses.

For Spiral Loop “A”, as depicted in Figure 2, the data were collated and divided into smaller components. Meaningful ideas were derived from the data for Loop “B”, and initial interpretations were generated. In terms of Loop “C”, the information was organised into categories, themes and sub-themes based on insights gained from the codes. The results were combined, summarised and synthesised with the current empirical literature with regard to Loop D.

Figure 2. Analysis spiral plan (Creswell & Poth, 2018).

The Figure depicts the processes of data handling from raw data, data preparation, perusal, classification, synthesis and final report.

4. Results

The rest of this paper focuses on students’ outcomes and conversations on social media sites and how those platforms affect their writing performance in English language tasks. This section also highlights the extent to which students’ addictiveness to social media influences their English language writing performances. These have been presented under two main themes, and some excerpts are shown in conversations.

4.1. Theme 1: social media platforms students are exposed

This section aimed to unravel the social media platforms on which the students are visible. These are covered under four sub-themes.

Sub-theme 1: awareness of social media platforms

The participants were asked about the social media platforms they were aware of, and some of the responses are shown in conversation 1.

Conversation 1:

Please, I know of Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Instagram

I know of Twitter, Viskit, Snapchat, Visha and YouTube.

I know of only WhatsApp and Facebook.

I know of YouTube, WhatsApp, Twitter and Zoom.

As for me, the ones I know are: Tik Tok, Pinterest, Telegram, WhatsApp and Twitter.

4.1.1.

The responses imply that the participants are aware of numerous social media sites—possibly more than five. This finding is in consonance with that of Kahar et al. (2022) who found that WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook were the most popular social networking sites among the students.

Sub-Theme 2: Platforms Signed up to

In order to understand the participants’ social media awareness, they were asked to specify the number of social media platforms they were signed up to. Some responses are found in Conversation 2:

Conversation 2:

I am signed up to WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.

I use WhatsApp only.

Sir, as for me, I am signed up to WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook.

I am signed up to WhatsApp, Facebook, Viskit and YouTube.

Sir, for me, I am signed up to WhatsApp and Facebook.

These responses suggest that the participants not only knew of these social media platforms but had gone a step further to sign up for a variety of them. WhatsApp was the most preferred and was closely followed by Facebook. That the participants signed up to these social media platforms was expected. McGillivray (2014) suggest students patronise social media platforms and often do so excessively. From recent literature, Kahar et al. (2022) conducted a study to determine the social media platforms used by students in the higher cadres of learning and found WhatsApp, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook as the most popular social networking sites used by the students. Within the Ghanaian context, in Owusu-Acheaw and Larson’s (2015) study to assess students’ use of social media and its effect on academic performance of Koforidua Polytechnic students, Facebook was found to be the most patronised social networking site. This was followed by WhatsApp, Twitter, Skype, Myspace and Yahoo Messenger. These findings from the foregoing discourse corroborate the results of the present enquiry.

Sub-Theme 3: Visitations to Social Media Platforms

Closely tied to the participants signing up to social media platforms is their visitation(s) to these platforms. This domain was, therefore, explored. The participants were asked to indicate how often they visit social media platforms, and the responses are shown in Conversation 3.

Conversation 3:

I visit social media twice in a day.

Sir, I visit there every day.

Sir, I visit there all the time.

I always visit social media.

As for me, I can’t count. I’m always there.

It is evident that the participants visit these social media sites very often. This situation is worrying because most of these sites are not pro-learning platforms that can enhance students’ English language writing performances. According to Davidson (2014), students waste their time on social media nearly 24 hours a day and engage in idle conversations and other immoral behaviour. This study supports research from other academics who have found that students spend hours daily on social media platforms, commenting, tweeting, liking, checking pictures, images and many more (Akram & Kumar, 2017; Owusu & Agatha, 2015).

Sub-Theme 4: Duration of Usage of Social Media Platforms

In order to further understand the depth of participants’ engagement on social media with respect to time, they were asked about the period that they had been signed up to these social media platforms. Some responses are shown in Conversation 4.

Conversation 4:

I have been on these platforms for the past two and half years.

Sir, for me, I have been on social media for three years.

Sir, I have been on social media for four years.

The years I have been on social media is three and half.

Sir, I have been one and half years on social media.

It is evident that the participants had been on social media platforms for significant periods. That is, most of them actually started using social media before gaining admission to Fiaseman SHS. This presupposes that throughout their stay in the school, social media has been embedded in their activities. As El-Badawy and Yasmin Hashem (2015) indicates, social media does not impact students’ academic performances since the students, regardless of the time they spend on social media, still find time to study to obtain good grades. On the reverse, as asserted by Osharie (2015), students dedicate more attention and time to social media over their studies which possibly results into examination failures because of their inability to learn. Even at the expense of other activities like study and employment, many students, according to McGillivray (2014), cannot go two to three hours without checking and updating their profiles on these social networks. This confirms what Maya (2015) asserted that social media use does lead to poor academic performance and less interest in school-oriented endeavours.

4.3. Theme 2: students’ level of addictiveness to social media and its influence on their

4.3.1. English language writing performances

Research on social media has brought out both the negative and positive effects of students on social media globally (Acheaw & Larson, 2015; Author; Bermudez et al., 2016; Chukwuere, 2021; Ellore et al., 2014; El-Badawy & Hashem, 2015; MehMood & Taswir, 2013; Oguguo et al., 2020). This domain was, therefore, explored. This section is presented under five (5) sub-themes.

4.3.2. Sub-theme 1: knowledge of social media addictiveness

Social networking sites attract students’ attention, but Kandpal et al. (2023) claims it direct such attention towards inappropriate and non-educational activities, such as useless chitchats. Mingle and Musah (2015) are also of the view that most students in Ghana experience negative effects such as poor grammar spelling, less study time and poor performance. The participants were, therefore, asked to divulge whether or not they were addicted to social media. Some of their responses are found in Conversation 5.

Conversation 5:

Please, yes. That is very true. I am hundred percent addicted.

I can see that I’m very addicted because it is very difficult to control my presence there.

… Of course, Sir, I am hundred percent addicted.

For me, I am partially addicted.

Sir, for me, I’m totally addicted.

The participants themselves admit that they are hooked to social media. This situation can be inimical to their English language performances, as the participants may not pay the necessary attention to their academics—a situation that can affect their general academic progression. McGillivray (2014) argues that many students cannot go two to three hours without a glance on these social networks. It is, therefore, not surprising that this finding corroborates the position of McGillivray (2014).

4.3.3. Sub-theme 2: use of short forms

Lakhal (2021) and The Chief Examiner’s Report for WASSCE (2015–2020) indicate that students’ use of social media sites affects their English grammar because of students’ use of short forms of writing words in their chat rooms. For this reason, the participants were asked about their use of “shorthand” on social media, and some of their responses are found in Conversation 6.

Conversation 6:

Yes, I do.

Of course, Sir.

I do use shorthand on social media.

Yes.

Absolutely, Sir, I do use them.

The participants generally responded in the affirmative with regard to their usage of “shorthand”. The implication is that because students spend disproportionately longer periods on social media, they are more likely to internalise the use of short forms and transfer them into formal academic writing. This situation could culminate in poor English language performances. In regard to their English language performances, these websites’ use affects students’ grammar and English usage, claim Obi et al. (2012). Oguguo (2020) found an increase in the use of mobile devices by secondary school students, their interest in following trending news and their use of slangs, even when communicating formally with peers and elders.

4.4. Sub-theme 3: frequency of use of short forms

The frequency of such usage is closely linked to the use of short forms on social media. The answers in Conversation 7 serve as illustrative examples of the participants’ perspectives on the topic. There is no doubt that the participants frequently use short forms on social media, which makes the problem worse. The propensity of participants to carry over these short forms into their formal writings increases due to the frequency of such usage. As Davidson (2014) argues, with many students preoccupied with social media networks and technological and social lives, they lose interest in reading, and, hence, lack the vocabulary for speech and writing.

Conversation 7:

I use them always.

Sir, for my side, I use short hands sometimes.

I use them every day.

Sir, I use short forms of words all the time.

Sir, all the time.

4.5. Sub-theme 4: use short forms in examination scripts

Following the admission of the frequent usage of short forms of words on social media by the participants, they were asked if they transfer these short forms into their academic writings. Some of their responses are captured in Conversation 8.

Conversation 8:

As for me, sometimes I forget and will be using shortened forms of words in my academic works.

I always find myself using short forms and incorrect expressions in my essays.

For my side, I use short hands doing chats on social media, and I forget myself and use them in my compositions.

I sometimes find myself using short hands in my notes and also in exams.

The responses suggest that they often get trapped by the temptation to use short forms in their academic writings. This constitutes a significant barrier and potentially impedes the participants’ English language writing performances. This finding was expected. Obi et al. (2012) and The Chief Examiner’s Report for WASSCE (2015–2020) indicate that students’ use of social media sites affects their English grammar because of students’ use of short methods of writing words in their chat rooms.

4.6. Sub-theme 5: improvement or reduction in grades of students

The students’ English language performances is closely tied to their use of short forms in academic writing. This domain was, hence, explored. In Conversation 9 are some of the elicited responses on their English language performances.

Conversation 9:

… My performance has reduced drastically.

My performance has reduced.

My performance has not reduced that much.

It has gone down totally.

Finally, the responses suggest that using short forms in their academic writing is expectedly unwelcome. This is a likely agent in their declining performances in the English language. According to Gupta and Dhami (2015), social media usage has raised many privacy and security concerns. There may be plausible explanations for why pupils perform poorly in school today.

5. Discussion

The study revealed that the participants were well exposed to social media platforms, as they expressed knowledge of a variety of such social media platforms and accessed some of these platforms, especially, WhatsApp and Facebook. This was expected, as the internet and its associated sites have gained currency and keep spreading with pace across the globe. This is in congruence with the position of Oguguo (2020), as this scholar avers that a myriad of social media platforms exist for individuals across the globe to access. As Belal (2014) and McGillivray (2014) indicate, students patronise social media platforms and often do so excessively—a situation conceivable from the participants’ interest in engaging with social media activities, which afford them the opportunity to follow current trends and to link up with friends and family.

The finding that the participants pay regular visits to these social networking sites and spend significantly long periods of time there is worrying, considering that most of the sites they visit are not pro-learning sites. Banquil and Chua (2009) and MehMood and Taswir (2013) are among the scholars who have found that students spend more time engaging in social media activities than on academic tasks. This situation could culminate in poor performances in their English language, as valuable time they need to study to improve their English language proficiency is channelled into unproductive exploits on social media. The seriousness of this situation is further highlighted by Osharie (2015) and Kandpal et al. (2023) who report that students’ excessive patronage of social media platforms has the propensity to harm them. Similarly, Akram and Kumar (2017) and Owusu and Agatha (2015) report that students today spend over twenty-four hours online because they are so involved in social media. The obsession with making new acquaintances online has squandered time that should have been dedicated to education, academic research and innovation. Most of the time, the conversations are focused on unimportant topics.

That the participants themselves admit that they are addicted to social media rather exacerbates the issue under discussion. There are two critical consequences here: 1) the participants are likely not to give their studies the needed time and attention and 2) their English language performances will be negatively affected, culminating in poor academic progression. Gupta and Dhami (2015) argue that internet obsession significantly and adversely affects students’ academic performances. It is, followingly, not surprising that Osharie (2015) warns that such addiction could have a negative impact on Ghana’s already failing educational system.

More so, that the participants frequently use short forms in their academic writings and that the participants know that such deviant practices affect their English language performances is worrying. Many students who complete high school lack the English language knowledge and proficiency needed to advance to the next level (Lakhal, 2021). Consistent with Lakhal (2021), Obi et al. (2012) and The Chief Examiner’s Report for WASSCE (2015–2020) indicate that students’ use of social media sites affects their English grammar because of students’ transfer of short hand into their English language essays.

6. Implications for policy and practice

The following recommendations are outlined thus:

1. Because the current generation of students are technologically friendly, as evidenced by their frequent use of social media, stakeholders in education should consider integrating pedagogical practices that leverage social media to engage students. This would prospectively allow students to learn during their social media presence. Online dictionaries with pronunciation buttons and websites that offer free educational materials to students, for instance, could come in very handy.

2. Teachers should assist students in selecting appropriate social media sites. Teachers should also help students recognise which social media sites are healthy and which are not. Similarly, the academic counselling unit(s) of Fiaseman SHS and analogous schools should engage students to sensitise them on social media sites, their importance, dangers and how best to use social media, especially for academic purposes.

3. Teachers should closely monitor the students’ academic writing and general usage of the English language through regular and quality feedbacks to the students. This will allow teachers to alert students on the solecisms they commit due to the infiltration of negative English language practices into their academic writings.

4. Teachers and parents should regulate students’ access to social media to restrict them to confined times to prevent them from wasting time on unproductive and non-academic-related activities.

5. Curriculum developers and teachers should employ social media networks to provide authentic and extensive reading tasks that have the potential to facilitate intentional and incidental vocabulary learning and writing complexity in schools.

7. Conclusions

This qualitative simple case study aimed to investigate the nexus between social media usage and the English language writing performances of a Ghanaian English as Second Language (ESL) class. The data was collected from Fiaseman SHS Form 2 General Arts One class. Based on the main findings, six main conclusions were drawn. Firstly, the participants knew of various social media platforms (more than five). This is evidenced in their specific responses by mentioning a repertoire of such social media platforms. Secondly, the participants were signed up to, at least, two social media platforms, including but not limited to WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Thirdly, the participants’ visitations to social media sites were very frequent. This suggested that the participants spent valuable time on these social media platforms. In addition, the participants had been active on social media platforms for significant periods, even before their enrolment into Fiaseman SHS. More so, the participants were primarily addicted to social media. This is based on several revelations: their admission that they are addicted, their frequency of visitations to social media platforms and the duration of their social media use. Lastly, the participants used short forms unacceptable in their academic writing; according to them, this situation affected their performances in the English language.

8. Limitations and suggestions for further studies

This study did not explore the mechanisms employed by educational stakeholders to control the identified negative influence of social media on the participants’ English language writing performances. Further research would be required to unravel the best ways to deal with these challenges fully. The study reveals findings from one educational context, does not reflect data across the country and cannot represent findings in the whole country (Ghana). Similar studies could consider a broader range of participants across senior high schools in Ghana.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no direct funding for this research.

Notes on contributors

Ramos Asafo-Adjei

Ramos Asafo-Adjei holds a PhD in English language (English Language Teaching) from the University of Venda in South Africa and is an Associate Professor at the Communication and Media Studies Section of the Centre for Languages and Liberal Studies of the Takoradi Technical University, Ghana.

Ronald Osei Mensah

Ronald Osei Mensah, is an Assistant Lecturer with the Social Development Section of the Centre for Languages and Liberal Studies of the Takoradi Technical University and a PhD Candidate with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. He has cross-cutting research experience in the area of Sociology of Education, Sociology of Law and Criminal Justice, Media Studies and African History.

Ernest Kwesi Klu

Ernest Kwesi Klu is an Associate Professor at the University of Venda in South Africa. His research interests are: English Language Assessment and Evaluation, Pragmatics, English Language Pedagogy and Andragogy, Educational Linguistics, Academic Literacy and Discourse Analysis.

Enock Swanzy-Impraim

Enock Swanzy-Impraim is a Doctoral Candidate at the School of Education, Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia. Enock is an education researcher, art educator and graphic designer with ten years of diverse teaching and research experience. He has an excellent work ethic, is creative, and is willing to learn and adapt to a changing habitat. Enock does research in Vocational Education, Creativity, Pedagogies, Teacher Education and Comparative Education.