Use of YouTube Educational Videos in Self-Directed Learning Among Undergraduates in Kano State, North West Nigeria

This study investigates how undergraduate students in Kano State, North West Nigeria use YouTube educational videos for self-directed learning. YouTube has emerged globally as an accessible, free, and content-rich platform that students leverage outside formal instructional settings to reinforce learning, fill knowledge gaps, and prepare for examinations. A descriptive survey design was employed with a sample of 220 undergraduates from Bayero University Kano and Kano University of Science and Technology. A validated questionnaire assessed frequency of YouTube use for learning, types of content accessed, perceived benefits, and barriers to use. Findings show that over 70 percent of respondents watch educational videos on YouTube at least twice per week, primarily for tutorial content in mathematics, sciences, and languages. Data subscription costs and unreliable mobile connectivity are the principal barriers reported. Students who combined YouTube learning with traditional study methods reported greater academic confidence than those relying solely on lectures. The study recommends that universities in Kano State curate official YouTube channels featuring course-specific tutorial content produced by academic staff and that campus-wide free Wi-Fi be prioritised to reduce the data cost barrier to self-directed digital learning. Keywords: YouTube, self-directed learning, undergraduates, Kano State, digital media