Effect of Social Media Management Strategies on Students’ Engagement and Academic Participation in Benue State University, Makurdi

Abstract

This study assesses the effect of social media management strategies on the enhancement of students’ engagement and academic participation in Benue State University. The study employs a quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional design. The study focused on a population of 25 postgraduate and 75 undergraduate students in Benue State University, utilising 100 respondents as the sample size. Data were collected using questionnaires and analysed descriptively. Questionnaire tagged: Social Media Management Strategies and Students’ Academic Participation Questionnaire (SMMSSAPQ) were the instrument used for data collection. Validity of the instrument was done by an expert in education management at Benue State University (BSU). The findings revealed that social media management strategies impact on students’ engagement in educational institutions in the study area, and there were major challenges in integrating social media into the educational system. The paper recommends holistic strategies to maximise social media’s educational benefits while mitigating its drawbacks; institutions should develop comprehensive social media policies that outline purposeful academic usage while minimising distractions.