Examining Social, Personal, and Technological Factors Influencing Student's ICT Usage

Student Alienation

The origin of the theory of alienation lies in politico-economic theories of Marx’s and his associates. Classical theories of alienation focus heavily on economic causes, ignoring influence of socially embedded communication networks. Within the field of psychology and education, alienation has been conceptualised primarily as individual’s affective and cognitive characteristic (Hascher & Hadjar, 2018). Seeman (1959, 1972, and 1975) generated renewed interest in the concept of alienation by operationalizing it as an umbrella concept, including a cluster of feelings, such as powerlessness, meaninglessness, guidelessness, role estrangement and cultural estrangement. Many scholars have used alienation as a possible link between a number of negative student experiences, such as powerlessness and senselessness of learning, dissatisfaction with education, procrastination, dishonesty and absenteeism (Osin, 2017; Mann, 2005). Student alienation can be described as lack of sense of belonging to classmates, to the teaching staff, to the department and to the university (Kember et al., 2001; Tinto, 1997). Student alienation refers to a feeling of social estrangement, lack of proper social support and meaningful social connection within an educational institution (Mau, 1992). An alienated student is characterised by disinterest and disengagement in academic and non-academic activities. He/she uncaring or ‘turned off’ and doesn’t enjoy his/her life as a student desirably. He/he doesn’t like the way university operates and may holds a relatively more negative opinion about his/her classmates & teachers. These students feel maladjusted in the educational institutes and are unable to find a satisfactory niche in the educational and social environment of the school (Galassi & Galassi, 1973; Bronfrenbenar, 1986). Because of all this, they fail to commit themselves whole heartedly to desired institutional activities (Tinto, 1995).