General and instructional perceptions of South Korean messenger: 'KakaoTalk'

摘要

This study focuses on the most popular messenger application of South Korea: KakaoTalk. We collected data on university students' (n = 699) perceptions about Kakao, both as a social media tool and as an instructional tool, using a survey based on convenience sampling. The final survey after factor analyses included three sections: 1) 11 questions of the participants' self-evaluation about Kakao; 2) 15 Likert scale questions on students' general perception regarding Kakao as a social media tool; 3) 27 Likert scale questions on students' general perceptions of using Kakao as an instructional tool. Factor analysis yielded four reliable factors affecting the general perception of Kakao as a social media tool: Kakao as an addictive, useful, satisfactory and secure tool. Besides, four reliable factors unfolded for the perceived instructional use of Kakao: providing interaction, providing motivation, providing formal/informal learning and facilitating instruction. Comparative analysis also revealed significant differences among certain variables.