Effect of Facebook learning environment on the learning process among AEC University students during Covid-19 Pandemic: the mediating role of psychological capital

Abstract

Abstract: The outbreak of COVID-19 has adversely affected university students' learning process, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Consequently, many academic institutions have adopted online platforms, some being social learning networks and others not. Therefore, the current study aimed at assessing the mediation effect of psychological capital on the Facebook learning environment influencing the learning process among university Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) students during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria. The study is quantitative in design, and data were collected from the students of AEC-related courses using a structured questionnaire. The Baron and Kenny's causal steps were adopted to assess the mediation effect of psychological capital (PsyCap) on Facebook learning environment factors influencing AEC University students learning process. A total of 385 samples were collected and analyzed using Warp 7.0 PLS-SEM software. The study results indicated a small effect size between the Facebook learning environment and AEC students' learning process, thus implying that the frequency of using the Facebook learning environment tended to affect AEC university students learning process in Nigeria, and PsyCap mediates the relationship between the Facebook learning environment and students' learning process. This implies that students with high PsyCap learn more and thus improve their learning process. The study concluded that PsyCap minimizes the effects of Facebook learning environments on the AEC students' learning process. The study is limited to students in the AEC-related courses in Nigerian universities. Therefore, the study recommended further studies on the other social media learning platforms that affect the learning process and the study's extension to other universities offering AEC courses for more comprehensive results