University students’ English learning outcomes and their perceptions of learning English through WhatsApp discussions

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the profile of students' English learning outcomes after implementing WhatsApp group discussions, explore students' perceptions of learning English using WhatsApp discussions, and investigate the relationship between their perceptions and their English language learning outcomes, as well as identify the advantages of learning English via WhatsApp group discussions. This study was quantitative correlation research. One hundred and twenty-five first-year university students who were registered in the General English course in the first semester participated in this study. The researchers collected data using the English test and questionnaire. An online survey was used to collect data from 125 first-year university students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and simple linear regression analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis of the survey results revealed that the students agreed that learning English through WhatsApp discussions makes learning easy (55%), clarifies content (42%), helps solve problems (37%), enables faster knowledge sharing (77%), supports exploring valuable information (54%), and provides enough time (64%). However, the result of the simple linear regression analysis revealed that there was no correlation between student perceptions of the English learning process through discussion using WhatsApp and students' English language learning outcomes. This research expands the body of research on students' perspectives on using technology to learn English as a foreign language at university. This research supported the idea that the use of technology, especially a social media application, can improve the process of learning English of university students and their English learning outcomes.