· web viewadvantages and disadvantages of using whatsapp among students in oman suleiman...
TRANSCRIPT
Ministry of Health
Foundation Programme
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using
Whatsapp among Students in Oman
Suleiman Al-Humaimi, NU888
Group 20
21 June 2015
Foundation Center, Muscat Oman
Submitted to:
Ms. Doryl S. Cabiao Supervisor
DECLARATION OF ORIGINAL WORK
This declaration is made on the ____21 st ___ day of __June 2015.___ (date) (month, year)
Student’s Declaration:
I Suleiman Al-Humaimi, NU888, (PLEASE INDICATE STUDENT’S NAME, STUDENT
NO.,) hereby declare that the work entitled Advantages and Disadvantages of using
Whatsapp among Students in Oman is my original work. I have not copied from any other
students’ work or from any other sources except where due reference or acknowledgement
is made explicitly in the text, nor has any part been written for me by another person.
___ June 21, 2015___ ___Suleiman Al-Humeimi, (NU888)__ Date submitted Name of the student (StudentNo.)
2
ABSTRACT
This research paper investigated the advantages and disadvantages of using Whatsapp
among students in Oman, specifically at the Foundation Centre, Ministry of Health. The
objectives of the research were to determine the extent of using Whatsapp and how it affects
the students’ performance, identify the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using
Whatsapp among students in Oman and to provide some recommendations to overcome the
negative effects of using Whatsapp. The literature review discussed various studies that have
been conducted in relation to the use of Whatsapp by students. A questionnaire was
formulated and distributed to 25 randomly selected students, and then the data was analyzed.
The results showed that all of the respondents were using Whatsapp and about 60% of them
had their Whatsapp on for 24 hours. It was also noticeable that almost all of the respondents
(24 out of 25) wished that they can use Whatsapp in studying. Whatsapp, as perceived by
students has advantages and disadvantages. It was then recommended that teachers and other
authorities in the academe should try to experiment in incorporating Whatsapp in studying.
3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In full gratitude I would like to acknowledge the following individuals who
encouraged, inspired, supported, assisted, and sacrificed themselves to help my pursuit of a
high education degree.
In the institute, I would like thank my supervisor, Ms. Doryl Cabiao, for sharing
expertise, and sincere and valuable guidance and encouragement extended to me. I would
also like to thank the Head of the English Department, Mr. Redha Al-Qubtan, for his help and
support.
In my family I thank my parents, and my brothers and sisters for supporting me
emotionally and mentally whenever I feel tired working with this research.
Without the support, encouragement, and dedication to assist me, this research would
not have been possible.
4
Table of Contents
Page
Declaration of Original Work …………………………………………………………….. i
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………… ii
Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………...……….. iii
Chapter 2: Introduction
Background of the study ………………………………………………......………1
Statement of the Problem …………………………………………………......…...2
Objectives ………………………………………………………………...…...…...2
Chapter 2: Literature Review …………………………………………………...……...….3
Chapter 3: Methods and Procedure ……………………………………………..…………5
Research Approach ……………………………………...………………..………..5
Research Instrument…………………………………………………….….………5
Samples/Respondents……………………………………………..……….……….5
Data Collection Procedures ………………………………………………………..7
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion…………………………………………………………8
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations ……………………………………………12
References …………………………………………………………………………………13
Appendix 1: Questionnaire ……………………………………………………………….14
Appendix 2: Questionnaire Results ……………………………………………………….16
Appendix 3: Transcript of Recorded Interview ………………………...……………….. 17
Appendix 4: Map of the Location ……………………………………………………….. 18
Appendix 5: Request Letter to Conduct a Study ………………………………….… …. 19
Appendix 6: Raw Data from Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) ………. 20
5
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background of the Study
Social media is defined as Internet networks that provide an online community for
users to interact in a fast, convenient manner. Within social media networks, users are able to
create profiles, share information, and view other users’ comments (Brubaker 2013). As the
Internet, mobile phones, and text messaging spread to the general public, people quickly
became accustomed to communicating with peers or groups of people via text from an
electronic device.
In January 2015, WhatsApp was the most globally popular messaging app with more
than 700 million active users (Olson, 2014) with India alone having a user base of more than
70 million. WhatsApp Inc., based in Mountain View, California, was acquired by Facebook
on February 19, 2014, for approx. US$19 billion (Newsroom.fb.com, 2014).
Whatsapp messenger has been popular among people especially the teenagers. Recent
updates such as calling have improved its functionality.
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in Oman. Half of Oman’s phone users
subscribe to data packages, and most of these are using WhatsApp, Viber and other free
messaging services. These days, a lot of students use Whatsapp even when they are in the
classroom. It seems to be that this messaging application has become an important part of
their daily routine.
The effects of using Whatsapp has become a topic of a lot of researches especially its
effects when it comes to students. With this in mind, the researcher attempted to find out the
advantages and disadvantages of using Whatsapp among students in Oman.
6
Statement of the Problem
This research aimed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of using
Whatsapp among students in Oman. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the respondents with regard to the following:
1.1 Age
1.2 Gender
1.3 Use of Whatsapp
2. What are the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using Whatsapp among
students?
Objectives
The objectives of the study are as follows:
1. To determine the extent of usage of Whatsapp and how it affects the students’
academic performance.
2. To identify the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using Whatsapp among
students in Oman
1.1 Positive effects
1.2 Negative effects
3. To provide some recommendations to overcome possible negative effects of using
Whatsapp.
7
Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature
The Use of Whatsapp
WhatsApp is an instant messaging app for smartphones that operates under a
subscription business model. The proprietary, cross-platform app uses the Internet to send
text messages, images, video, user location and audio media messages (IPG Media Lab,
2013).
It’s not just teenagers who like to use this application. Business people, from those in
the media to hard-nosed executives, find it useful to keep tabs on what’s happening, share
information and root out leads.
During the storms and rain that swept through Oman in April, for instance,
photographs and videos of flooded wadis and rain soaked streets were quickly circulating on
WhatsApp, uploaded by people on the ground and viewed almost instantaneously.
“People and businesses now think of WhatsApp as a new platform to raise awareness
about a product or different activities,” agrees Jansait Qoughondoqa, head of community
management at social media consultancy The Online Project. “It is proven by numbers that
WhatsApp is the fastest method to promote anything – be it a joke, rumour or even help for a
needy family.” (Gill, 2013).
Effects of Whatsapp on Students
In Saudi Arabia, a study has been conducted to explore the impact of using WhatsApp
mobile learning activities on the achievement and attitudes of online students using mobile
devices at the university. Researcher conducted an experiment in the 2014 academic year.
The results of the present study show that mobile learning based WhatsApp social
networking has a high positive impact on the achievement test of students. Students prefer
this innovative educational technology based mobile learning (Amry, 2014).
8
Similarly, a research was done in Ghana to investigate on the Impact of Whatsapp
messenger usage on students performance in tertiary institutions. In this study, 50 students
from five tertiary institutions were interviewed and 500 questionnaires were administered to
students from same institutions. The study revealed that, whatsapp instead of making
communication easier and faster thereby enhancing effective flow of information and idea
sharing among students, rather has impacted negatively on the performance of tertiary
students in Ghana .The study among other things unveiled the following: whatsapp takes
much of students study time , results in procrastination related problems, destroys students’
spellings and grammatical construction of sentences, leads to lack of concentration during
lectures, results in difficulty in balancing online activities (whatsapp) and academic
preparation and distracts students from completing their assignments and adhering to their
private studies time table (Yeboah & Ewur, 2014).
Since WhatsApp is relatively a new phenomenon, little research exists regarding its
influence on interpersonal communication in general, and between high school teachers and
their students in particular (Church & de Oliveira, 2013). An examination of the use of
WhatsApp in a South African university class registered positive feedback from students who
claimed that it was an easier way to communicate with their teachers and the rest of the class,
that it was productive of fruitful discourse on relevant issues in an informal environment
where students could learn intimately and authentically, and that it was also fun (Bere, 2013).
9
Chapter 3: Methods and Procedure
This chapter discusses the research approach, the population, description of
respondents, research instruments, and data collection procedure.
Research Approach
Given the research purpose of identifying the effects of using Whatsapp among
students in Oman, quantitative research is adopted as the main methodological frame by
analysing the common responses to a questionnaire. A quantitative method concentrates on
objective measurements and numerical analysis of data gathered through questionnaires,
polls, and surveys (Babbie, 2010).
Samples/Respondents
The respondents of this research were composed of 25 randomly selected students of
the Foundation Program, Ministry of Health. Each respondent was given a questionnaire to
fill in.
Research Instrument
To get the data needed for this research, the researcher came up with a questionnaire
that was drafted based on the literature review. The questionnaire consists of two parts. The
first part was composed of background questions to determine the respondents’ profile.
1. Name: (Optional)
2. Gender: Male Female
3. Age: ______________
4. Do you use Whatsapp messenger? Yes No; If your answer is Yes, proceed to the
next question. If your answer is No, you may now stop here.
10
5. How much time do you spend in using Whatsapp?
1-2 hours / day
3-4 hours / day
5-6 hours / day
More than 6 hours / day
My Whatsapp is on 24 hours a day
6. Why do you use whatsapp? Check all that applies.
For studying/academic work
To get general information
Chatting with friends
To connect with family
The second part of the questionnaire was composed of 10 statements where
respondents had to answer based on how they feel about each statements by choosing either
Agree, Disagree, or Neither Agree nor Disagree. The following were the statements on the
second part of the questionnaire:
1. I enjoy using Whatsapp.
2. I learn many things through Whatsapp.
3. Whatsapp helped me to communicate with my family when I am far from them.
4. I feel guilty whenever I use Whatsapp instead of studying.
5. When my friends and I decided to discuss school project through Whatsapp, we
always end up talking about a different thing.
6. I always sleep late because of using Whatsapp.
7. I am always updated with current news because of Whatsapp.
8. I sometimes check my phone to see Whatsapp messages even when I am in class.
11
9. I lose focus and concentration when I am studying if my Whatsapp is on.
10. I wish that we can use Whatsapp in studying.
Data Collection Procedures
The researcher went through the following steps in order to get all important data for
this research.
1. The researcher obtained approval from the supervisor for the questionnaire to be
used in research.
2. The questionnaire were photocopied and distributed to selected students from the
Foundation Centre. The questionnaires were distributed on 1 June and collected back the next
day.
3. The data were then plotted to MS Excel for analysis.
12
Chapter 4: Results and Discussion
This chapter presents the analysis and interpretation of the data gathered.
4.1 Results
4.1.1. Profile of Respondents
The respondents were comprised of 60% female and 40% male (Figure 1). Figure 2
shows that 72% of them were 19 years old, 8% were 18 and another 8% were 20 years old,
and the remaining 12% were aged over 21. All of the respondents were using Whatsapp.
Most of the respondents said that their Whatsapp is 24 hours on (60%), 20% said they were
using Whatsapp for more than 6 hours a day, 8% said they were using it for 3-4 and 5-6 hours
in a day, and only 4% said that they were using Whatsapp for 1-2 hours a day (Figure 3).
Table 1 presents the reasons of the students in using Whatsapp. It shows that all of the
respondents are using Whatsapp to chat with friends and to communicate with their families
and only 10 respondents use it for studying.
Figure 1. Gender
13
Male40%
Female60%
Figure 2. Age
Figure 3. Time spent in using Whatsapp
Table 1. Reasons for using Whatsapp
REASONS FOR USING WHATSAPP
No. of Respondents
Chatting with friends 25To connect with family 25To get general information 20For studying 10
14
188%
1972%
208%
21 +12%
1-2 hours4% 3-4 hours
8%
5-6 hours8%
more than 6 hours20%
24 hours on60%
4.1.2 Students’ perceptions on the effects of using Whatsapp
Figure 4 presents the perceptions of students in relation to using Whatsapp. All of the
respondents agreed that they enjoy using Whatsapp (statement 1) and Whatsapp help them to
communicate with their families (statement 3). About 92% of the respondents agreed in
statement 3 saying that “I learned many things through Whatsapp”. Most of them (60%) also
agreed that they feel guilty whenever they use Whatsapp instead of studying. Students who
agree and who disagree got the same percentage (40%) with statement saying that “When my
friends and I decided to discuss school project through Whatsapp, we always end up talking
about a different thing”. Seventy-two percent agreed that they were always updated with
current news through Whatsapp while 8% disagreed and 20% neither agreed nor disagreed.
With regards to statement 8 saying “I sometimes check my phone to see Whatsapp messages
even when I am in class”, 60% of the respondents agreed with it. More than half of the
respondents (52%), however, disagreed that they lose focus and concentration when studying
if Whatsapp is on. Almost all of the respondents (24 out of 25) wished that they can use
Whatsapp in studying.
Figure 4. Perceptions on using Whatsapp
15
05
1015202530
AGREEDISAGREENeither Agree nor Disagree
Discussion
The result of the survey revealed that majority of the respondents were female. Most
of the respondents were 19 years old. All of the respondents were using Whatsapp and
majority of them have their Whatsapp on for 24 hours. It is not very surprising since
nowadays, people can subscribe to data plans from different mobile companies at a low cost.
Students also gave reasons on why they use Whatsapp. All of the respondents said that they
use it to connect with their families. A lot of the students from the institute came from the
different regions in Oman, therefore, it is probable that using Whatsapp is the most
economical and easiest way to communicate with their families back home. Also, all of the
respondents said they use Whatsapp to chat with their friends. Studying ranked the lowest as
a reason for using Whatsapp.
With regards to the students’ perception on the effects of using Whatsapp, all of the
respondents enjoyed using Whatsapp which would be a positive thing. Most of them also said
that they learn many things through Whatsapp. Most of the students have a guilty feeling
whenever they use Whatsapp instead of studying and most of them also check Whatsapp
messages while in class. Majority of the students also sleep late because of using Whatsapp.
This means that using Whatsapp may interfere with their study habits, similar with the result
of the study of Yeboah & Ewur (2014). On the contrary, most of the students disagreed that
they lose focus and concentration if Whatsapp is on. Almost all of the respondents hoped to
use Whatsapp in studying. This is one thing to look into as Bere’s research (2013) mentioned
some positive impact with the use of Whatsapp in learning.
16
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendation
This chapter presents the conclusion and recommendation for this research. This study
investigated on the perceived effects of the use of Whatsapp by Omani students.
Conclusions
Considering the findings of this research, it can be concluded that using Whatsapp
have both positive and negative effects for students. Since most of them live far from their
families, Whatsapp serves as a tool for easy communication. Students may be affected
negatively by using Whatsapp since it can cause lack of sleep. It may also hinder their study
habits if they use Whatsapp while in class. Students also feel distracted when they use
Whatsapp instead of studying. In contrast, using Whatsapp posed not only negative effects.
Since the students are more interested in using mobile phones and other forms of
technological gadgets, using Whatsapp can be a promising tool for education
Recommendations
With this, the researcher is recommending that teachers and other authorities in the
academe should try to experiment in incorporating Whatsapp in studying. It may be an
informal type of learning, but it may also be beneficial to both teachers and students since
students will be more interested in learning. To students, the researcher is recommending that
they should try to limit the use of Whatsapp, especially if they feel that it is already taking too
much of their time, rather than doing something more important, like studying. It is also
recommended that other researchers do further studies about this topic and investigate deeply
on the impact of Whatsapp.
17
References
Amry, A. (2014). The results of the present study show that mobile learning based WhatsApp
social networking has a high positive impact on the achievement test of students.
Students prefer this innovative educational technology based mobile
learning. European Scientific Journal, 10(22).
Bere, A. (2013). Using mobile instant messaging to leverage learner participation and
transform pedagogy at a South African University of Technology. British Journal of
Educational Technology, 44(4), 544- 561.
Brubaker, E.V (2013). The relationship between Facebook TM Activity and Academic
Performance among African American Students, Lynchburg. Liberty University.
Church, K., & de Oliveira, R. (2013). What's up with Whatsapp? Comparing mobile instant
messaging behaviors with traditional SMS. Proceedings of the 15th International
Conference on Human-computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (pp.
352-361). ACM.
Gill, J. (2013). NO WHATSAPP, NO LIFE. Y Pulse Of Oman.
IPG Media Lab,. (2013). The Power Of Real Time: A Media Trial From IPG Lab & AOL.
Retrieved 1 April 2015, from http://ipglab.com/2013/12/03/the-power-of-real-time-a-
media-trial-from-ipg-lab-aol/
Newsroom.fb.com,. (2014). Facebook to Acquire WhatsApp | Facebook Newsroom.
Retrieved 1 April 2015, from http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2014/02/facebook-to-
acquire-whatsapp/
Olson, P. (2014). WhatsApp Hits 600 Million Active Users, Founder Says. Forbes. Retrieved
1 April 2015, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/08/25/whatsapp-
hits-600-million-active-users-founder-says/
Yeboah, J., & Ewur, G. (2014). The Impact of Whatsapp Messenger Usage on Students
Performance in Tertiary Institutions in Ghana. Journal Of Education And
Practice, 5(6).
18
Appendix 1: Questionnaire
Ministry of Health
Foundation Programme
Advantages and Disadvantages of using Whatsapp among Students in OmanI am Suleiman Al-Humeimi, a student at Foundation Programme. As part of the Mini-Research Project course, I am conducting a study on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using Whatsapp among students. This questionnaire is my data collection instrument, so I will be very grateful if I can have some of your time to fill it in.
Section A: Put () tick in one of the squares in each of the following items. Write your response when appropriate
1. Name: (Optional) _______________________
2. Gender: Male Female
3. Age: ______________
4. Do you use Whatsapp messenger? Yes No; If your answer is Yes, proceed to the
next question. If your answer is No, you may now stop here.
5. How much time do you spend in using Whatsapp?
1-2 hours / day
3-4 hours / day
5-6 hours / day
More than 6 hours / day
My Whatsapp is on 24 hours a day
6. Why do you use whatsapp? Check all that applies.
For studying/academic work
To get general information
Chatting with friends
To connect with family
19
Section B: To what extent do you agree with the following:
A: Agree, D: Disagree, N: Neither Agree nor Disagree
Item AGREE DISAGREENEITHER
AGREE NOR DISAGREE
1 I enjoy using Whatsapp.
2 I learn many things through Whatsapp.
3
Whatsapp helped me to communicate
with my family when I am far from
them.
4I feel guilty whenever I use Whatsapp
instead of studying.
5
When my friends and I decided to
discuss school project through
Whatsapp, we always end up talking
about a different thing.
6I always sleep late because of using
Whatsapp.
7I am always updated with current news
because of Whatsapp.
8
I sometimes check my phone to see
Whatsapp messages even when I am in
class.
9I lose focus and concentration when I
am studying if my Whatsapp is on.
10I wish that we can use Whatsapp in
studying.
Thank you for your time and cooperation.
20
Appendix 2: Questionnaire Results
Section A:
2. Gender: 10 Male 15 Female3. Age: 18 y/o=2; 19 y/o=18; 20 y/o=2; 21+ y/o = 34. Do you use Whatsapp messenger? Yes - 25 5. How much time do you spend in using Whatsapp? 4% 1-2 hours / day 8% 3-4 hours / day 8% 5-6 hours / day 20% More than 6 hours / day 60% My Whatsapp is on 24 hours a day6. Why do you use whatsapp? Check all that applies.
25 For studying/academic work25 To get general information20 Chatting with friends10 To connect with family
Section B:
Item AGREE DISAGREENEITHER
AGREE NOR DISAGREE
1 I enjoy using Whatsapp. 25 0 0
2 I learn many things through Whatsapp. 23 2 0
3Whatsapp helped me to communicate with my family when I am far from them.
25 0 0
4 I feel guilty whenever I use Whatsapp instead of studying. 15 8 2
5
When my friends and I decided to discuss school project through Whatsapp, we always end up talking about a different thing.
10 10 5
6 I always sleep late because of using Whatsapp. 20 5 0
7 I am always updated with current news because of Whatsapp. 18 2 5
8I sometimes check my phone to see Whatsapp messages even when I am in class.
15 10 0
9 I lose focus and concentration when I am studying if my Whatsapp is on. 12 13 0
10 I wish that we can use Whatsapp in studying. 24 1 0
Appendix 3: Transcript of Interview
21
Example transcription of recorded interview
(M=Michelle, aged 13, female; I=interviewer)
(//=overlap)
I: Let’s begin with ‘how I see myself’. Can you just go through the pictures that you’ve used
and explain what pictures you’ve used and why you’ve used them?
M: Yeah. I’ve used this woman [Kelly Rowland] because she’s quite fashionable and I see
myself as a fashionable person. I’ve used a picture of a Liverpool football team because I see
myself as quite a supportive person towards the team. I put a love heart because I’m quite a
loving person. I also put a laptop because I like to explore things and try new things.
I: What about the pictures of Kat, Alfie [EastEnders characters] and, is that Lemar?
M: Bow Wow.
I: Let’s start with Kat and Alfie, why have you used them?
M: Because Kat, erm Alfie’s quite cheery and he makes people smile sometimes so I just like
Alfie, and I also have a temper to so I put Kat.
I: And what about Bow Wow?
M: I put him because I like him (laughs).
I: So if you were going to sum up how you see yourself, what words would you use that the
pictures are trying to express?
M: Creative, fashionable, quite a happy person, quite tempered sometimes, powerful,
respectful.
I: OK, you said that you can have a temper//
M: //yeah//
I: //sometimes//
M: //yeah.
I: When you say get a temper do you mean you get angry?
M: Yeah.
I: What types of things make you angry?
M: My sister borrows stuff from me and, um, sometimes I don’t get things my own way.
I: Sometimes you don’t get things your own way.
M: Yeah.
Appendix 4: Map of the Location of Institute of Health Science
22
Appendix 5: Request Letter to Conduct a Study
23
March 12, 2015
Mr. Redha Al-Qubtan
Head of English Department
Foundation Programme, Ministry of Health
Dear Sir,
Warm greetings!
I am Suleiman Al-Humeimi, a student of the Foundation Programme. I am conducting a
research entitled “Advantages and Disadvantages of Using WHatsapp among Students in
Oman.” With this, I would like to seek for your permission for me to distribute questionnaires
to the students at the institute for me to gather the data I need for my research.
Your approval will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
Suleiman Al-Humeimi
Appendix 6: Raw Data from Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)
24
Q1Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Strongly Agree 7 26.9 26.9 26.9Agree 6 23.1 23.1 50.0
Neither Agree Nor Disagree 7 26.9 26.9 76.9
Disagree 6 23.1 23.1 100.0Total 26 100.0 100.0
Q2Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid
0 1 3.8 3.8 3.8Strongly Agree 11 42.3 42.3 46.2
Agree 6 23.1 23.1 69.2Neither Agree Nor
Disagree 4 15.4 15.4 84.6
Disagree 3 11.5 11.5 96.2Strongly Disagree 1 3.8 3.8 100.0
Total 26 100.0 100.0
Q3Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Strongly Agree 15 57.7 57.7 57.7Agree 5 19.2 19.2 76.9
Neither Agree Nor Disagree 3 11.5 11.5 88.5
Disagree 3 11.5 11.5 100.0Total 26 100.0 100.0
Q4Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative
Percent
Valid
Strongly Agree 9 34.6 34.6 34.6Agree 11 42.3 42.3 76.9
Neither Agree Nor Disagree 4 15.4 15.4 92.3
Disagree 1 3.8 3.8 96.2Strongly Disagree 1 3.8 3.8 100.0
Total 26 100.0 100.0
25