Facebook use, personality characteristics and academic performance: A correlational study

TL;DR

This study explores how Facebook use and personality traits relate to student engagement, preparation time, and academic performance, revealing significant correlations that have implications for educational strategies.

Contribution

It investigates the specific relationships between Facebook activity, Big Five personality traits, and various academic engagement metrics, providing new insights into social media's role in student performance.

Findings

Facebook time correlates positively with student engagement.

Facebook activities and personality traits relate differently to academic variables.

Some personality traits are positively and others negatively related to academic engagement.

Abstract

The present paper examines the relationship between the students personality, use of social media and their academic performance and engagement. In specific, the aim of this study is to examine the relationship of students facebook (fb) use and personality characteristics using the Big Five Personality Test with (a) student engagement, (b) time spent preparing for class, (c) time spent in co-curricular activities and (d) academic performance. Results illustrate that fb time was significantly positively correlated to student engagement and time spent preparing for class. Finally, some of the facebook activities and the students personality characteristics are significantly positively related and some others significantly negatively related to each one of the dependent variables of the study. The implications of the study both for instructors and the students, are also discussed.