Students' Perspectives on Using Telegram for Instructor Interaction: A Case Study at the Faculties of Education and Arts in Libyan Universities

Abstract

This study aims to investigate Libyan students' perspectives on employing Telegram for interacting with their instructors. The research focuses on understanding how students perceive the effectiveness and utility of Telegram as a communication tool in educational settings. The participants in this study are twenty undergraduate Libyan students majoring in English at the Faculty of Education in Azzaytuna University and the Faculty of Arts in Misurata University. To design this research, a quantitative approach was utilized to collect valid and accurate data. Questionnaires were employed to gather data on students' usage patterns, frequency of interactions, perceived effectiveness of Telegram. Challenges, and benefits associated with using Telegram for academic interactions. Data collection involved distributing online questionnaires to the participants, ensuring anonymity and encouraging honest feedback. The questionnaires were a mix of Likert scale questions, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions to capture a comprehensive understanding of the students' perspectives in terms usage patterns, frequency of interaction, benefits of using Telegram, effectiveness and their experiences. The collected data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics and qualitative feedback, and the results were presented in tables and percentages format. The findings of the study revealed that Libyan students value Telegram for its instant messaging and group collaboration features but face challenges such as infrequent use, technical issues, and slow instructor responses. Addressing these problems could improve Telegram's effectiveness as a communication tool and enhance students' learning experiences.