Master of Arts in Education Major in MAPEH
Vol. 1 No. 6, October - December 2025 · pages 170–177
This descriptive-comparative study examined the utilization of social media platforms as supplementary tools in teaching MAPEH among Senior High School teachers and students. It determined the frequency of use of Facebook Groups, YouTube, TikTok, and TeacherPH; evaluated perceived effectiveness for instruction and learner engagement; compared perceptions of teachers and students; and analyzed differences in academic performance between learners exposed and not exposed to social media-supported lessons. Guided by constructivism, blended learning, and the Technology Acceptance Model, the study used researcher-made questionnaires and achievement records. Weighted means, percentages, and independent-samples t-tests were employed at the 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that Facebook Groups and YouTube were the most frequently used platforms for posting learning materials, demonstrations, and guidance on performance tasks. In contrast, TikTok was used moderately for short skill videos and motivation. TeacherPH was least used due to its limited student interactivity and more text-based resources. Both groups rated social media as highly effective in supporting participation, collaboration, and interest in MAPEH activities; however, students reported significantly higher effectiveness ratings than teachers. Academic performance of exposed students was slightly higher than that of non-exposed peers, with clearer gains on performance tasks than on written assessments. Findings suggest that social media can enhance MAPEH learning when integrated with clear objectives, safe-use policies, and teacher facilitation. Based on the results, a contextualized program for structured social media integration in MAPEH is proposed to maximize engagement while minimizing distraction and access inequities. Regular monitoring and digital citizenship training are recommended for sustained classroom use.
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The rapid expansion of social media use among adolescents has reshaped how students access information, form communities, and express creativity. In education, these platforms are no longer only personal communication tools; they have become informal learning spaces where learners watch demonstrations, exchange feedback, and co-construct knowledge with peers and teachers. Recent syntheses show that social media is increasingly adopted across disciplines to support collaboration, resource sharing, and learner engagement, especially when formal classroom time is limited or when students are already active on these platforms outside school (EBSCO Research Starters, n.d.; Saura et al., 2023).
Because social media environments are familiar and interactive, they can reduce the psychological distance between school learning and daily life, creating opportunities for authentic participation and sustained interest (Advance HE, 2024). In Senior High School (SHS), the subject MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health) presents a particularly strong case for integrating social media. MAPEH learning is performance-centered: students must observe skills and techniques, practice repeatedly, and present outputs such as movement routines, musical performances, artwork, or health advocacy products. These outcomes align with constructivist assumptions that learners build understanding through active experience, social interaction, and reflection on practice (Kennedy Center, n.d.).
Social media platforms provide ready spaces for such experiences-for example, video-based demonstrations of PE skills, creative showcases of the arts, or peer discussion threads on health issues-supporting learning that extends beyond classroom walls. At the same time, the post-pandemic shift toward blended and technology-supported teaching has accelerated expectations for teachers to use digital tools. Blended learning research in performance-based fields such as physical education indicates that combining face-to-face instruction with online resources can improve skill development, satisfaction, and learning continuity when appropriately designed (Wang, 2022; Zhang & Wang, 2025).
Social media can serve as a practical, low-cost component of blended learning because it enables flexible access, rapid content distribution, and peer-to-peer interaction, even where dedicated learning management systems are less widely available. For many SHS contexts, especially in public schools, platforms like Facebook Groups, YouTube, and TikTok are already accessible via low-bandwidth mobile devices, making them realistic supplementary tools. However, adopting social media for instruction depends not only on availability but also on how teachers and students perceive its value. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) explains technology adoption through perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, which shape attitudes and behavioral intention to use a tool (Granić & Marangunić, 2019).
Studies applying TAM in education consistently show that teachers' willingness to integrate digital or social media tools is influenced by whether they believe the tools genuinely support learning goals and whether using them feels manageable within their workload and skills (Ibrahim & Shiring, 2022; Wohlfart & Wagner, 2024). Importantly, students often view social media as a natural extension of their learning habits. At the same time, teachers may be more cautious due to concerns about distraction, privacy, and alignment with curricular standards. These contrasting perspectives can affect how consistently platforms are integrated and how effective they become in practice.
In the Philippine setting, the integration of online platforms must also be viewed alongside digital citizenship and safe-use expectations. National and regional policy discussions emphasize that technology-supported learning should be paired with responsible online behavior, privacy awareness, and guidance on ethical participation (SEAMEO INNOTECH, 2023). This is relevant to MAPEH classrooms, where students may upload performance videos, comment on peers' work, or engage in health-related discussions that require respectful, safe interaction. The educational value of social media, therefore, depends on structured facilitation, clear norms, and equitable access.
Despite growing international evidence on social media in education, empirical studies focusing on MAPEH-related learning at the SHS level remain limited, particularly those that compare teacher and student perceptions and examine performance outcomes under social media-supported instruction. Much of the existing literature centers on general academic subjects or higher education contexts, leaving a gap in understanding how supplementary social media use supports skill-based, creative, and health-oriented learning in basic education (Saura et al., 2023). There is also a need to identify which platforms are most commonly used in actual classroom practice and why certain tools are favored over others.
Local evidence is essential so schools can design contextualized programs that maximize engagement while minimizing risks, such as off-task behavior or unequal participation due to connectivity gaps. Anchored on constructivism, blended learning theory, and TAM, the present descriptive-comparative study investigates the utilization of social media platforms as supplementary tools in teaching MAPEH among Senior High School teachers and students. Specifically, it (1) determines the frequency of use of Facebook Groups, YouTube, TikTok, and TeacherPH in MAPEH instruction; (2) assesses the perceived effectiveness of these platforms in promoting learner engagement and supporting classroom objectives; (3) compares teacher and student perceptions regarding social media effectiveness; and (4) examines differences in academic performance between students exposed and not exposed to social media-supported MAPEH lessons.
By generating platform-specific and stakeholder-specific findings, this study aims to inform practical guidelines and a school-based program for structured social media integration in MAPEH. The outcomes of this investigation are expected to benefit teachers by clarifying instructional affordances of different platforms and highlighting conditions that support effective use. For students, the study may validate learning practices that align with their digital habits while encouraging safer and more purposeful online participation. For school leaders and curriculum planners, the findings offer evidence for policy-aligned blended learning strategies in performance-based subjects, contributing to more engaging, resilient, and context-responsive MAPEH instruction. 2. Method
The study employed a descriptive-comparative research design to determine both the extent of social media utilization and the differences in perceptions and performance associated with its use in teaching MAPEH among Senior High School teachers and students. The descriptive component focused on identifying the frequency of use of specific platforms (Facebook Groups, YouTube, TikTok, and TeacherPH) and assessing their perceived effectiveness for instruction and learner engagement through weighted means, frequencies, and percentages. The comparative component examined whether significant differences existed between teachers' and students' perceptions and whether academic performance varied between learners exposed and not exposed to social media-supported MAPEH instruction, using independent-samples t-tests at the 0.05 level of significance.
This design was appropriate because it allowed the researcher to describe current practices as they naturally occur while also statistically comparing groups without manipulating variables, thereby generating evidence on how social media functions as a supplementary teaching tool in real classroom contexts. 2.2 Participants The study participants consisted of selected Senior High School MAPEH teachers and SHS students from participating schools, representing the two key stakeholder groups directly involved in social media-supported instruction. Teachers served as respondents to describe and evaluate platform use in instruction, while students provided parallel perceptions of effectiveness and engagement based on their learning experiences.
To address the comparative objectives, the student participants were further grouped into those exposed to MAPEH lessons supplemented with social media platforms and those not exposed, allowing academic performance to be examined across naturally occurring instructional conditions. Participants were chosen from intact school contexts to reflect real classroom practice rather than experimentally manipulated settings, ensuring that perceptions and performance data captured authentic patterns of social media integration in MAPEH. 2.3 Instrumentation The study used a researcher-developed questionnaire and academic achievement records as its primary data collection instruments.
The questionnaire was structured into parallel teacher and student forms. It consisted of sections that measured (a) the frequency of social media use in MAPEH across Facebook Groups, YouTube, TikTok, and TeacherPH, and (b) the perceived effectiveness of these platforms in supporting instruction, motivation, participation, and learner engagement, using a Likert-type rating scale to allow computation of weighted means. Items were aligned with the study's statements of the problem and anchored on constructivism, blended learning, and the Technology Acceptance Model to ensure content relevance to performance-based MAPEH learning.
To address the performance-comparison objective, students' quarterly grades and performance task records in MAPEH were gathered from school academic files and used to compare exposed and non-exposed groups. Together, these instruments enabled the study to describe actual platform utilization, quantify stakeholder perceptions, and relate social media-supported instruction to measurable learning outcomes within authentic classroom contexts. 2.4 Data Analysis The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics aligned with the study's descriptive-comparative design. For the frequency of social media use across platforms, responses were tallied and presented as frequencies, percentages, and rankings to show which tools were most used in MAPEH instruction.
Perceived effectiveness and engagement indicators were summarized using weighted means and interpreted through the study's verbal descriptors. To address the comparative objectives, independent-samples t-tests were applied at the 0.05 level of significance to determine whether (a) teachers and students differed significantly in their perceptions of social media effectiveness and (b) students exposed to social media-supplemented lessons differed in academic performance from those not exposed. These procedures enabled the researcher to describe real classroom patterns of platform use while also statistically testing group differences without manipulating instructional conditions, ensuring that conclusions were grounded in both observed trends and verified comparisons.
The study used a researcher-developed, validated questionnaire as the primary instrument, with parallel forms for teachers and students to capture comparable perceptions. The tool consisted of sections measuring: (1) frequency of use of Facebook Groups, YouTube, TikTok, and TeacherPH in MAPEH; (2) perceived effectiveness of social media for delivering lessons and supporting performance tasks; and (3) perceived impact on learner engagement, interaction, and motivation. Items were rated on a Likert-type scale and underwent content validation by experts and pilot testing to ensure clarity and reliability. To measure learning outcomes, students' academic performance records in MAPEH-covering written work and performance tasks-were collected and used to compare exposed and non-exposed groups, providing an objective basis for linking social media supplementation with achievement.
The results showed that social media platforms were used to varying degrees as supplementary tools in teaching MAPEH, with clear preferences for video and community-based applications. Among the platforms examined, Facebook Groups and YouTube were the most frequently used. Teachers primarily used Facebook Groups to distribute learning materials, announcements, links, and task instructions, while YouTube served as a repository for skill demonstrations, performance exemplars, and guided practice videos. TikTok was used moderately, usually for short, engaging demonstrations and motivational clips suited to quick PE and dance routines.
In contrast, TeacherPH registered the least frequent use because its resources were more teacher-oriented and text-based, with limited direct interactivity for students, making it less compatible with performance-heavy MAPEH activities. In terms of perceived effectiveness, both teachers and students rated social media as highly effective in supporting instruction and learner engagement. Respondents emphasized that platforms enabled flexible access to demonstrations, allowed repeated viewing for skill mastery, and gave students more opportunities to participate beyond classroom time. Social media was also viewed as useful for collaborative learning, since learners could share outputs, comment on peers' work, and receive immediate feedback.
These results align with the constructivist view that learners build competence through active practice and social interaction, and they highlight how digital spaces can extend performance-based learning beyond face-to-face sessions. When teacher and student perceptions were compared, a significant difference emerged: students consistently rated social media's instructional effectiveness higher than teachers did. This suggests that students may experience stronger motivational and practical benefits from these platforms because they are already embedded in their daily routines and preferred modes of communication.
Teachers, while still positive overall, reflected more cautious ratings, likely influenced by concerns about distractions, uneven access, and the need to manage online spaces. The disparity underscores a TAM-consistent pattern in which acceptance levels differ by stakeholder role and familiarity with the tool. Academic performance comparisons further indicated that exposure to social media-supplemented MAPEH lessons was associated with slightly higher achievement. The improvement was more evident in performance tasks than in written assessments, suggesting that social media's most substantial contribution lies in skill modeling, rehearsal, and creative production.
Because students could rewatch demonstrations, practice at their own pace, and benchmark their outputs against shared exemplars, they were better positioned to refine performance outputs. Meanwhile, written assessment gains were smaller, reflecting that these outcomes still depend heavily on classroom explanations and cognitive testing rather than purely on online practice. Overall, the results demonstrate that social media functions as a meaningful supplementary environment for SHS MAPEH, especially when aligned with performance-based outcomes. Platform preferences were largely driven by instructional fit-tools that support video, demonstrations, and group interaction were favored.
Positive effectiveness ratings and modest performance gains suggest strong instructional potential, but the perceptual gap between teachers and students indicates the need for structured integration, clear guidelines, and support systems. These findings provided the basis for proposing a contextualized program that strengthens purposeful social media use in MAPEH while addressing teacher concerns, student safety, and equity in access.
The findings of this study corroborate a growing body of literature showing that social media supports performance-based and engagement-centered learning, particularly in physical education-related contexts. Consistent with the present results where Facebook Groups and YouTube were most frequently used and rated highly effective, recent reviews of technology-enhanced pedagogy in physical education report that video and community platforms are preferred because they provide modeling of skills, repeated practice opportunities, and peer interaction-factors that improve engagement and motor-skill learning when aligned with lesson objectives (Technology-Enhanced Pedagogy in Physical Education, 2024).
Likewise, blended learning syntheses in physical education emphasize that digital supplements most often yield positive outcomes in motivation, satisfaction, and learning continuity, mirroring the high effectiveness ratings of both teachers and students in this study (Zhang & Wang, 2023). This study's evidence that social media is beneficial for demonstrations and performance tasks aligns with prior research highlighting the instructional strength of short-form and long-form video tools for physical activity learning. For instance, investigations on TikTok and YouTube use in PE contexts conclude that learners value these platforms because they visualize movement, promote practice outside class, and sustain interest through highly accessible tutorials (Garcia, 2024; Martínez et al., 2025).
These patterns closely reflect the current study's observation that TikTok was used moderately but strategically for quick demonstrations and motivation, while YouTube remained central for more detailed skill instruction. The significant difference between teachers' and students' perceptions also aligns with acceptance-based studies, which show that students typically evaluate social media more positively than instructors. TAM-grounded research on instructor adoption indicates that, while teachers recognize its usefulness, their acceptance is moderated by concerns about classroom management, privacy, and workload, leading to relatively more cautious ratings than learners (Dennen et al., 2022).
Similarly, TAM applications in social media learning environments demonstrate that students' strong perceived ease of use and peer-interaction benefits predict higher engagement and favorable attitudes, reinforcing why students in the present study rated effectiveness more strongly (Buabeng-Andoh, 2018). In terms of academic performance, this study's modest gains for exposed students-more visible in performance tasks than written work-are consistent with blended learning evidence in PE. Prior experimental and review studies report that digital supplementation tends to produce stronger effects on applied, skill-based outcomes (e.g., routines, motor performance, creative outputs) than on purely cognitive test scores, because platforms mainly enhance practice, feedback, and self-paced mastery (Zhang & Wang, 2023; Wang, 2024).
The current findings, therefore, extend these conclusions to the SHS MAPEH context, affirming that social media's greatest instructional contribution lies in performance rehearsal and output refinement rather than in replacing classroom-based conceptual teaching. Finally, the low utilization of TeacherPH in this study parallels other works, noting that platform fit matters: tools lacking learner-facing interaction or strong multimedia affordances are less likely to be adopted for PE- or arts-related outcomes. Research on students' social media engagement in Philippine schools shows that platforms emphasizing short, interactive, and peer-visible content (such as TikTok) draw higher sustained participation, while text-heavy or teacher-only resources receive weaker uptake (Alarcon, 2025; Salasac et al., 2022).
This corroboration supports the study's recommendation for a structured, platform-sensitive integration program that maximizes engagement while managing risks of distraction and inequitable access.
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