FACULTY MEMBERS’ ACTUAL USE AND PERCEPTIONS OF USING SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

This quantitative correlational study examined the relationships among faculty members’ perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and the actual use of social networking sites (SNSs) for instructional purposes in higher education. The study also explored whether demographic variables—age, gender, educational level, nationality, and teaching experience—were related to these perceptions. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) provided the theoretical framework. The research was conducted at the University of Hail (UOH) in Saudi Arabia, where faculty members form an active community of practice that supports shared learning and professional growth. Data were collected from 216 faculty members using an online survey adapted from Davis’s (1989) TAM instrument and modified to fit the teaching context of SNS integration. The instrument included 25 items measuring PU and PEOU. Data were analyzed using correlation and regression techniques, including binary logistic regression, ordinal logistic regression, and multinomial logistic regression, to address the study’s three research questions. Results indicated a strong positive relationship between PU and PEOU, supporting the TAM assumption that ease of use enhances perceived usefulness. PU was a consistent and significant predictor of SNS use inside and outside the classroom, whereas PEOU demonstrated mixed but supportive effects, showing significance when analyzed with PU or through multinomial models. Educational level had a significant negative effect on both PU and PEOU, indicating that faculty with higher academic degrees perceived SNSs as less useful and less easy to use. Although age, gender, and teaching experience did not show direct effects, nationality moderated the relationship between educational level and both PU and PEOU. The findings deepen understanding of faculty technology acceptance in Saudi higher education and emphasize the importance of user-friendly platforms, institutional support, and professional development opportunities that enhance faculty confidence in integrating SNSs into teaching practice. Encouraging collaboration among faculty with diverse experiences may further strengthen the effective use of SNSs in academic environments