Awareness and Use of Social Media for Business Education Instruction Among Teachers in Bayelsa State

This study examined the level of awareness and use of social media platforms for Business Education instruction among secondary school teachers in Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria. Social media platforms including YouTube, WhatsApp, and Google Classroom have increasingly been recognized as viable supplements to formal classroom instruction. For Business Education teachers, these tools offer opportunities to share business case studies, connect students with real-time market information, and facilitate collaborative learning beyond school hours. This study seeks to determine whether teachers in Bayelsa State are harnessing these opportunities. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The population comprised 240 Business Education teachers in public and private secondary schools across five local government areas in Bayelsa State. A sample of 120 teachers was selected using simple random sampling. A validated questionnaire on social media awareness and instructional use was used for data collection. Frequency counts, percentages, and mean scores were employed for analysis. Findings reveal that while virtually all teachers are aware of major social media platforms, fewer than 30 percent use them for instructional purposes. Key barriers include lack of institutional guidance, concerns about student distraction, and limited digital pedagogical knowledge. The study recommends that the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education should develop a formal social media integration policy for schools and provide professional development training to equip Business Education teachers with social media instructional strategies. Keywords: social media, business education, instructional use, secondary school teachers, Bayelsa State