Off-task social media multitasking during class: determining factors and mediating mechanism

• Published in: International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 1 - 19
• Main Authors: Deng, Liping, Zhou, Yujie, Hu, Qingchun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 16.03.2022; BioMed Central, Ltd; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Classrooms; College Students; Colleges & universities; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Computer Science; Computers and Education; Digital media; Educational Technology; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Humanities; Incentives; Individual Characteristics; Information Systems Applications (incl.Internet); Laptop Computers; Law; Learner Engagement; Learning Theories; Learning theory; Lecture Method; Literature Reviews; Motivation; Multitasking; Peer Influence; Preferences; Psychological Needs; Research Article; Self Efficacy; Self Motivation; Social factors; Social Media; Social networks; Statistics for Social Sciences; Student Behavior; Student Motivation; Student Participation; Students; Time Factors (Learning); China; Multitasking; Motivation; Social media; Self-efficacy
• ISSN: 2365-9440; 2365-9440
• DOI: 10.1186/s41239-022-00321-1

Framed by social learning theory, the study examines a set of personal and social factors determining off-task social media multitasking inside university classrooms. We aim to clarify the relationships between social media multitasking and self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, multitasking preference as well as peer distraction, and to elucidate the interactive relationships between these factors. Questionnaire data from 203 university students in China show that academic self-efficacy fully mediates the association between intrinsic motivation and off-task multitasking. Moreover, multitasking preference partially mediates the association between peer distraction and off-task multitasking during class time. The findings of the study contribute to a deeper understanding of why students multitask during class, which can inform the development of strategies for combating social media distraction and enhancing students’ learning engagement.