By Sunday Obro

Learning in the twenty-first century is no longer confined to classrooms, libraries, or formally prescribed curricula. It increasingly unfolds within digital ecosystems where social media platforms mediate communication, collaboration, and knowledge exchange. For students and educators alike, these platforms have become spaces where learning practices intersect with research skills, leadership development, and professional identity formation. Understanding social media as a learning environment therefore requires situating it within broader debates on research methodology, educational leadership, and professional education.

From a methodological standpoint, social media has introduced new pathways for engaging with knowledge and conducting scholarly inquiry. Dehalwar (2024), in Basics of Research Methodology: Writing and Publication, emphasizes that contemporary research competence extends beyond technical skills such as data collection and referencing. It also involves information literacy, ethical engagement with sources, and the ability to communicate ideas clearly across platforms. Social media, when used judiciously, supports these competencies by enabling learners to encounter diverse research outputs, follow academic debates, and practice scholarly writing in semi-public digital spaces. Blog posts, discussion threads, and academic networking platforms encourage early-career researchers to articulate ideas, receive feedback, and refine arguments—activities central to methodological learning.

Empirical research further underscores the academic relevance of social media use. The study by Edore Clifford Ogheneakoke and colleagues (2025), published in St. Theresa Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, demonstrates a clear relationship between the utilization of social network sites and the scholarly performance of Social Studies undergraduates. Their findings suggest that students who actively use social media for academic discussions, sharing learning resources, and peer collaboration tend to perform better than those who engage with these platforms only for social or recreational purposes. This evidence challenges the common perception of social media as inherently distracting and instead frames it as a potential cognitive and social resource when aligned with learning goals.

Leadership in education plays a decisive role in shaping how social media is integrated into learning environments. Sharma and Adeoye (2024), in New Perspectives on Transformative Leadership in Education, argue that transformative leaders must recognize and harness digital tools to foster inclusive, adaptive, and future-oriented learning cultures. Social media, from this perspective, is not merely a technological add-on but a space where leadership is enacted through dialogue, mentoring, and shared vision. Educators who model responsible digital engagement, encourage critical reflection, and facilitate meaningful online interaction help students develop both academic competence and digital citizenship.

The question of professional education further deepens this discussion. Sharma and Dehalwar (2023), writing in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, highlight the importance of institutional frameworks—such as councils and professional bodies—in promoting planning education and supporting planning professionals. Although their focus is on planning, the argument is transferable across disciplines: professional learning increasingly depends on continuous interaction, networking, and knowledge exchange beyond formal institutional boundaries. Social media platforms often function as informal extensions of such councils, enabling students and professionals to engage with policy debates, professional standards, and global best practices in real time.

Despite these opportunities, the educational use of social media also demands caution and critical awareness. Unstructured engagement can result in fragmented attention, misinformation, and surface-level learning. Dehalwar (2024) cautions that rigorous research and writing require discipline, critical evaluation of sources, and ethical responsibility—qualities that can be undermined if social media use remains unreflective. This reinforces the need for pedagogical guidance that helps learners distinguish between credible and non-credible information, manage digital time effectively, and integrate online learning with formal academic requirements.

At the same time, social media offers unique possibilities for equity and participation. Students who may feel marginalized in traditional classroom settings often find a voice in digital spaces, where hierarchies are less visible and interaction can be asynchronous. This aligns with the ideals of transformative educational leadership outlined by Sharma and Adeoye (2024), where empowerment, dialogue, and shared learning are central. When thoughtfully guided, social media can support not only academic achievement but also confidence, collaboration, and leadership capacity among learners.

In conclusion, social media occupies an increasingly influential position at the intersection of learning, research methodology, and educational leadership. Evidence from recent scholarship shows that its impact on learning outcomes depends largely on how it is used, structured, and guided. When integrated with sound research practices, transformative leadership, and professional educational frameworks, social media can enhance scholarly performance and enrich learning experiences. Rather than resisting these platforms, contemporary education must critically engage with them, ensuring that digital spaces become sites of meaningful learning, ethical scholarship, and inclusive academic growth.

Dehalwar, K. (2024). Basics of research methodology: Writing and publication. EduPub. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12654218

Edore Clifford Ogheneakoke, Onyenka Destiny Ukor, Sunday  Obro, Shashikant Nishant Sharma, and Williams Pius Akpochafo 2025 Utilisation of Social Network Sites and Social Studies Undergraduates’Scholarly Performance St. Theresa Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 11 178–91

Sharma, S. N., & Adeoye, M. A. (2024). New perspectives on transformative leadership in education (pp. 1–176). EduPub. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10970922

Sharma, S. N., & Dehalwar, K. (2023). Council of planning for promoting planning education and planning professionals. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 43(4), 748–749. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739456X231204568