Social Media Communication in the Nepalese Universities: An Extended UTAUT for Faculty’s Academic Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs2026.1.1025.1043Keywords:
extended UTAUT model, faculty academic performance, Nepalese universities, social media communication, use behaviourAbstract
Aim. The aim of the research is to examine the impact of social media communication on faculty’s use behavior and academic performance under the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model. It also examines the mediating effect of faculty use behaviour between social media communication and academic performance.
Methods. The subjects of the study were considered 402 instructors, including 41 professors, 72 associate professors, and 289 lecturers from the Nepalese leading universities such as Tribhuvan University, Purbanchal University, Kathmandu University, Pokhara University, and Rajarshi Janak University, through the purposive sampling techniques. Positivist methods employed a deductive research approach for the collection of quantitative data with a structured questionnaire based on a seven-point Likert scale through stratified random sampling. All of the collected data was transferred into the AMOS software and analyzed by structural equation modelling for the depth information.
Results. The result shows that social media communication significantly impacts faculty use behavior and academic performance, thereby supporting H1 and H2. The study also confirmed H3, showing that faculty use behaviour significantly mediates the relationship between social media communication and academic performance.
Conclusions. The study adds unique value based on the extended UTAUT models that social media use behaviour is positively allied between social media communication and the academic performance of the university faculty. This study supports the faculty's digital literacy initiatives by assisting in the development of social media integration policies with teaching and learning in the higher education institutions in Nepal to increase overall academic performance. This study also provides a foundation for Nepalese universities to realize the important role of social media in academic enhancement.
Downloads
References
Abbad, M. M. M. (2021). Using the UTAUT model to understand students’ usage of e-learning systems in developing countries. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7205–7224. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10573-5
Abbasi, M.-A., & Liu, H. (2013). Measuring user credibility in social media. In A. M. Greenberg, W. G. Kennedy, & N. D. Bos (Eds.), Social computing, behaviour al-cultural modeling and prediction (vol. 7812, pp. 441–448). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37210-0_48
Adhikari, S. (2024). Effect of social media on academic performance of university students in Nepal. Academia Research Journal, 3(1), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.3126/academia.v3i1.61261
Alabdulkareem, S. A. (2015). Exploring the use and the impacts of social media on teaching and learning science in Saudi. Procedia - Social and Behaviour al Sciences, 182, 213–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.758
Al-Azawei, A., & Alowayr, A. (2020). Predicting the intention to use and hedonic motivation for mobile learning: A comparative study in two Middle Eastern countries. Technology in Society, 62, Article 101325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101325
Al-Rahmi, A. M., Shamsuddin, A., Wahab, E., Al-Rahmi, W. M., Alturki, U., Aldraiweesh, A., & Almutairy, S. (2022). Integrating the role of UTAUT and TTF model to Evaluate social media use for teaching and learning in higher education. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.905968
Alenezi, W., & Brinthaupt, T. M. (2022). The use of social media as a tool for learning: perspectives of students in the faculty of education at Kuwait University. Contemporary Educational Technology, 14(1), Article ep340. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/11476
Alghazi, S. S., Kamsin, A., Almaiah, M. A., Wong, S. Y., & Shuib, L. (2021). For sustainable application of mobile learning: An extended UTAUT model to examine the effect of technical factors on the usage of mobile devices as a learning tool. Sustainability, 13(4), Article 1856. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041856
Alvi, I. (2021). College students’ reception of social networking tools for learning in India: An extended UTAUT model. Smart Learning Environments, 8(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-021-00164-9
Chang, A. (2012). UTAUT and UTAUT 2: A review and agenda for future research. The Winners, 13(2), 106–114. https://doi.org/10.21512/tw.v13i2.656
Cistulli, M. D., & Snyder, J. L. (2022). Student-professor social media relationships: An exploratory study of privacy and trust. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 85(1), 34–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221077265
Dwivedi, Y. K., Rana, N. P., Jeyaraj, A., Clement, M., & Williams, M. D. (2019). Re-examining the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT): Towards a revised theoretical model. Information Systems Frontiers, 21(3), 719–734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-017-9774-y
Godsk, M., & Møller, K. L. (2025). Engaging students in higher education with educational technology. Education and Information Technologies, 30(3), 2941–2976. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12901-x
Gruzd, A., Staves, K., & Wilk, A. (2012). Connected scholars: Examining the role of social media in research practices of faculty using the UTAUT model. Computers in Human Behaviour, 28(6), 2340–2350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2012.07.004
Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Mena, J. A. (2012). An assessment of the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling in marketing research. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(3), 414–433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-011-0261-6
Hashmi, M. S. (2025). Examine the effect of social media on collective learning and social engagement. Journal of Social Signs Review, 3(7), 21–34.
Kelleher, T., & Sweetser, K. (2012). Social media adoption among university communicators. Journal of Public Relations Research, 24(2), 105–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2012.626130
Khan, M. I., Ahmed, M., & Amin, A. (2017). The impact of social media on teacher’s performance: A case of higher educational institutions of Pakistan. European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences, 6(2), 206–221.
Liu, S., Zaigham, G. H. K., Rashid, R. M., & Bilal, A. (2022). Social media-based collaborative learning effects on student performance/learner performance with moderating role of academic self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 903919. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.903919
Maulidina, P. R., Sarno, R., Sungkono, K. R., & Giranita, T. A. (2020). Using Extended UTAUT2 model to determine factors influencing the use of shopee e-commerce. In 2020 international seminar on application for technology of information and communication (iSemantic) (pp. 493–498). https://doi.org/10.1109/iSemantic50169.2020.9234255
Mohammadi, H. (2015). Investigating users’ perspectives on e-learning: An integration of TAM and IS success model. Computers in Human Behaviour, 45, 359–374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.07.044
Mustafa, M. Z. B., Nordin, M. N. B., & Razzaq, A. R. B. A. (2020). Structural equation modelling using AMOS: Confirmatory factor analysis for taskload of special education integration program teachers. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 8(1), 127–133. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.080115
Ndung’u, J., Vertinsky, I., & Onyango, J. (2023). The relationship between social media use, social media types, and job performance amongst faculty in Kenya private universities. Heliyon, 9(12), Article e22946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22946
Parajuli, R. K. (2025). Use of social media platforms by university students. Madhyabindu Journal, 10(1), 70–90. https://doi.org/10.3126/madhyabindu.v10i1.75617
Paudel, B. (2025). Social media and academic performance: A case study of Shree Jana Model Secondary School, Birendranagar, Surkhet. NPRC Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 2(4), 79–92. https://doi.org/10.3126/nprcjmr.v2i4.78237
Purvis, A. J., Rodger, H. M., & Beckingham, S. (2020). Experiences and perspectives of social media in learning and teaching in higher education. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 1, Article 100018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2020.100018
Sah, G. K., Shrestha, S. K., & Aryal, B. R. (2026). Social media usage on students’ academic performance under the technology performance Chain. In R. Bakshi, K. Chopra, P. Dange, S. Mehendale, & P. Kumar Bhoyar (Eds.), Technology and beyond (pp. 357–371). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003755005-29
Sah, G., Shrestha, S. K., & Aryal, B. R. (2025). Effect of social media language on students’ intention to engage in academic use behaviour at leading universities in Nepal. Language, Technology, and Social Media, 3(2), 184–198. https://doi.org/10.70211/ltsm.v3i2.186
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2017). Partial least squares structural equation modeling. In C. Homburg, M. Klarmann, & A. Vomberg (Eds.), Handbook of Market Research (pp. 1–40). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05542-8_15-1
Sobaih, A. E. E., Moustafa, M. A., Ghandforoush, P., & Khan, M. (2016). To use or not to use? Social media in higher education in developing countries. Computers in Human Behaviour, 58, 296–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.01.002
Thanomsing, C., & Sharma, P. (2024). Understanding instructor adoption of social media using the technology acceptance model. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, 17(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-04-2022-0021
Tosun, N., & Gecer, A. (2022). A development, validity and reliability of safe social networking scale. Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, 8(3), 179–200. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajmmc.8-3-3
Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y. L., & Xu, X. (2012). Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.2307/41410412
Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540
Willis, A., Grainger, P., Thiele, C., Simon, S., Menzies, S., & Dwyer, R. (2023). The benefits and pitfalls of social media for teachers’ agency and wellbeing. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 32(5), 621–637. https://doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2023.2210585
Wu, C., Zhang, Y., Huang, S., & Yuan, Q. (2021). Does enterprise social media usage make the employee more productive? A meta-analysis. Telematics and Informatics, 60, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2021.101578
Zhao, M., Maat, S. M., Azman, N., & Zheng, E. (2024). The relationship between faculty support, academic self-efficacy, academic emotions, and online learning performance among university students in China. Sage Open, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440241304928
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Gunja Kumari Sah, Sajeeb Kumar Shrestha, Bhoj Raj Aryal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
CC-BY
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. All authors agree for publishing their email adresses, affiliations and short bio statements with their articles during the submission process.
