Social Media and Community College International Student Engagement at a Mid-Atlantic Community College

Social media play an increasingly significant role in education; however, how international students in community colleges use social media is unknown. The student engagement theory and constructs on the impact of social technology underpinned this research. The purpose of the qualitative descriptive study was to explore, describe, and understand the experiences of international students to determine whether their use of social media influenced their engagement with their selected community college. The research asked how international students described why they used institutionally hosted social media to interact with their college administration and peers and how their use influenced their engagement with a community college. Eleven international students participated in interviews; they had F1 Student Visas and were enrolled in a Mid-Atlantic Community College (a pseudonym) for at least two semesters. Thematic analysis revealed three themes: Social media engagement is often used for personal reasons, preferred practices of engagement with professors and classmates, and current use concerning college engagement. Findings showed that Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram helped participants stay updated about current events in MCC and communicate with instructors. The study recommends that administrators and educators consider social media use and activities as tools for recruitment purposes, increased engagement, communication, and collaboration in learning. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]