Whatsapp?S Potential to Broaden Online Teaching and Learning: Perceptions of Undergraduate Students from One South African University

ABSTRACT

Aim/Purpose Social media platforms have been increasingly incorporated into teaching and learning. However, studies using mixed methods to explore WhatsApp's poten-tial to broaden online teaching and learning remain limited.Background This study reports the experiences and perspectives of undergraduate students in terms of their WhatsApp usage patterns and preferences during COVID-19 using a sequential mixed method. Methodology Through a quantitative survey of undergraduate students from the Education Faculty in one South African university, quantitative data were collected from 92 participants. Qualitative interviews were followed with ten willing participants to further explore their perceptions and preference.Contribution This study addresses the literature gap identified by Klein et al. (2018, p. 2) that "few studies that explore WhatsApp use in the natural environment of higher education" and the methodology gap Hashim identifies (2018) that the majority of the literature adopts a quantitative research methodology while only 10% use the mixed method.