ISSN: 2583-052X
Integrating Social Media in Higher Education: Enhancing English Proficiency, Literary Engagement, and Critical Thinking in Philippine Purposive Communication Courses
This study explores the pedagogical impact of social media integration on English language proficiency, literary appreciation, and critical thinking among undergraduate students enrolled in Purposive Communication courses at a Philippine state university. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research involved 250 purposively selected second-year students divided equally into experimental and control groups. The experimental group engaged with course content through social media platforms—Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—alongside traditional instruction, while the control group followed conventional methodologies. Survey findings indicated strong student engagement, increased motivation, and enhanced digital literacy. Qualitative data from focus group discussions supported these outcomes, highlighting the benefits of interactivity, collaboration, and critical discourse, while also identifying concerns about distractions and privacy. The study concludes that, when strategically implemented, social media can serve as an effective educational tool in language and literature instruction, offering contextual insights for digital pedagogy in Southeast Asian higher education.