Effects of Social Media Access on Students' Learning in Public and Faith-based Secondary Schools: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This systematic literature review synthesized existing empirical evidence on the effects of social media access on students' learning, with particular attention given to comparative contexts involving public and faith-based secondary schools. Guided by an integrated theoretical framework combining Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development and Stufflebeam's CIPP evaluation model, this review analysed empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025. Studies were sourced from Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, Google Scholar, and African Journals Online. A total of 47 peer-reviewed studies met the inclusion criteria. The synthesis examined four dimensions: the frequency and patterns of social media usage, the influence of different content types on learning behaviors, the moderating effects of school type, and students’ perceptions of the educational usefulness of social media. The findings indicate that students predominantly use WhatsApp and Facebook for academic coordination while engaging with TikTok and Instagram primarily for entertainment. Entertainment-oriented content is consistently correlated with reduced study time and diminished academic focus, whereas educational content supports collaborative learning when properly scaffolded. Critically, the review identified a substantial research gap: no studies have systematically compared how public and faith-based secondary school environments moderate the relationship between social media use and learning outcomes. Most existing Tanzanian research focuses on university populations, employs small convenience samples, and relies heavily on self-reported behavioural measures without objective academic indicators. The review concludes that while the dual nature of social media as both an educational tool and an academic distraction is well established, the influence of institutional culture—particularly the moral and disciplinary frameworks characteristic of faith-based schools—remains unexplored. This review highlights the urgent need for comparative, methodologically rigorous research in Tanzanian secondary schools.