Dear Colleagues,

Technological advancements have revolutionized the way education is delivered, with social media emerging as a prominent tool in this transformation. Social media, leveraging Internet-based technologies, has found its way into the educational landscape, stimulating a plethora of research aimed at understanding its impact on human communication. Scholars and educators have embraced this digital medium to foster student engagement both inside and outside the traditional classroom setting. However, the extent of social media's influence on learning outcomes and students' beliefs remains a subject of ongoing investigation, yielding inconclusive findings at times.

Student engagement, a critical aspect of effective learning, has garnered considerable attention in educational research. It is now widely recognized that students engage in learning through various dimensions, including affectively, behaviorally, and cognitively. Recent studies have delved into the potential of technology in mediating students' social and metacognitive engagement in the learning process, broadening the interdisciplinary literature on the subject. Notably, the exploration of using social media to bolster student engagement in learning remains relatively underexplored, promising exciting avenues for further investigation.

Another significant focus of current research revolves around teachers' utilization of social media to facilitate online learning and its implications on learning outcomes and student satisfaction. Online social media platforms provide teachers with convenient access to course contents, offering multimedia resources such as video clips, instructional notes, and references. Furthermore, researchers are actively examining the impact of computer-mediated communication on the educational experience. Exploring students' beliefs and experiences regarding online collaboration, instructional approaches, and social interaction in the context of online learning will undoubtedly enrich the field.

This Research Topic seeks to bring together critical reviews and research articles that shed light on the role of social media in education. The overarching scope encompasses the use of social media to enhance student engagement, viewed from the lenses of education, psychology, and sociology. Some key themes of interest include investigating the effectiveness of using social media both inside and outside the classroom to foster student engagement, understanding its role in the realm of online learning, and examining the perceptions of students and teachers regarding social media's impact on education.

Additionally, this issue aims to uncover the perceived challenges and benefits associated with integrating social media in teaching and learning practices, as well as exploring the experiences of both students and teachers in this context. The study of students' engagement with social networks as interactive platforms and the effects of social media on learning outcomes will further contribute valuable insights. Not to be overlooked, the academic community's utilization of social networks as interactive platforms will also be a focal point of inquiry.

- The use of social media inside and outside the classroom to enhance students’ engagement
- The use of social media in online learning
- Student’s and teachers’ perceptions of the role of social media in education
- Perceived challenges and benefits of using social media in teaching and learning
- Students' and teachers’ experiences with using social media in teaching and learning
- Students’ engagement in social networks as interactive platforms
- Effects of social media on the learning outcome
- Academics’ use of social networks as interactive platforms

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

 

Dr. Mohamed Oubibi

Section Editor

Students’ engagement; Academic achievement; Student anxiety; Parental trust and support; Learning behavior; Parent-child attachment; Education; Behavioral, Cognitive, social media