Social media integration in marketing education: A way forward to improve engagement and learning outcomes

Abstract

This paper explores the effects of embedding social media into marketing education on student engagement and effective learning in Saudi Arabia. A total of 221 in-service marketing educators from institutions of higher learning were arranged into two groups: a treatment group employing social media tools and a control group operating with a purely traditional approach. Data were collected from a pre-test and a post-test, surveys, and interviews. The findings indicate that social media significantly increased student engagement and knowledge retention. Perceived ease of use, institutional support, and effectiveness in meeting instructional objectives were most significant to adoption. However, challenges included privacy and technical issues. The study shows that social media has the potential to transform marketing education by fostering interactive, student-centered learning, provided that faculty members receive appropriate preparation and institutional support.