Role of WhatsApp in Teaching and Learning Process in Schools in Pakistan

https://doi.org/10.9743/JEO.2022.19.3.1

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the use of WhatsApp in education and discover the opinions of all stakeholders towards the teaching and learning process in private schools. The study was designed in descriptive research using quantitative as well as qualitative data. We used close-ended questionnaires for quantitative data and semistructured interviews for qualitative data. The sample of the study consisted of all the key stakeholders of the education system: principals, students, teachers, and parents. We conducted interviews with school principals and gathered quantitative data from parents, teachers, and students. The study was limited to private sector schools of Mandi Bahauddin district, Phalia city, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. We used thematic analysis and descriptive statistics to identify the opinions of all the stakeholders about the role of WhatsApp in the teaching-learning process. The use of WhatsApp was encouraged as a supportive technology and recommended by the stakeholders. We also discussed the theoretical and practical implication of using WhatsApp.

Keywords: WhatsApp, teaching, learning, schools, Pakistan