Social Media and Success in Higher Education

The research on student success in the Netherlands is highly influenced by Tinto’s integration theory. In this paper, as part of my broader PhD research, I propose adjusting this theory to achieve a better fit with the present generation of students in the developed world. In contemporary society social media plays a crucial role and thus also in the lives of students. Earlier (engagement) research has been inconclusive about the effect of social media on students’ success, however, as it has focused on the quantitative rather than the qualitative aspects of social media use. In this study I measure the purpose of social media use and test its influence on students success next to various factors derived from the above mentioned pedagogical theories. This paper provides insight into the potential uses of social media in education by students.