Social media as a technopedagogical tool and its effects on academic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Inmaculada  Aznar-Díaz; José-María Romero-Rodríguez; Juan-Carlos de la Cruz-Campos; José-Antonio Martínez-Domingo

doi:10.1590/1983-3652.2026.61616

Authors

Inmaculada Aznar-Díaz University of Granada, Faculty of Education Sciences, Department of Didactics and School Organization, Granada, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0018-1150
José-María Romero-Rodríguez University of Granada, Faculty of Education Sciences, Department of Didactics and School Organization, Granada, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9284-8919
Juan-Carlos de la Cruz-Campos University of Granada, Faculty of Education Sciences, Department of Didactics and School Organization, Granada, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9263-6799
José-Antonio Martínez-Domingo University of Granada, Faculty of Education Sciences, Department of Didactics and School Organization, Granada, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4976-7320

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-3652.2026.61616

Keywords:

Social media, Academic performance, Higher education, Systematic review

Abstract

The use of social networks has become increasingly frequent among students, and it has been observed that these platforms can have benefits in the teaching-learning process and improve academic performance. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze whether the use of social networks in the teaching-learning process improves the academic performance of university students. The reviewed studies, conducted between 2018 and 2022, encompass various regions and are primarily quasi-experimental, with non-probabilistic sampling and a quantitative approach, utilizing questionnaires. These studies focus on the effects of social networks on performance, hypothesizing improvements. To this end, a systematic review with meta-analysis was carried out, performing the search in the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and obtaining a final sample of eight studies for the systematic review and four studies for the meta-analysis. The results show that research is controversial on the effect of social networks on academic performance, with both positive and indifferent, and even negative, results. Specifically, the meta-analysis indicates that there is no positive effect between the use of social networks and academic performance in Higher Education. In conclusion, social networks are tools that have the potential to be used in Higher Education, however, their effect on the academic performance variable is yet to be determined, although there is research that identifies promising aspects.

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References

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