Abstract:

Students are required to demonstrate their proficiency in crafting academic texts, such as Bachelor's or Master's Theses. This task demands specific writing competencies, including adherence to precise referencing and citation guidelines (e.g., APA format), articulating ideas grounded in existing literature, preventing plagiarism, and discussing research outcomes. Among the primary challenges students encounter when composing academic texts is the accurate utilization of the APA reference and citation format, often resulting in delays and heightened levels of anxiety. This study outlines an innovative group-based educational initiative conducted through Instagram, designed to enhance university students' proficiency in employing the APA format and avoiding plagiarism. For this purpose, an Instagram account, @apa_rte, was established specifically for the study. The account has been active for three consecutive academic years (2021-2022; 2022-2023; 2023-2024) and currently boasts over 1100 followers, primarily from Spain but also from other Spanish-speaking regions.

To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, a quasi-experimental design was employed, comprising pre- and post-intervention assessments. The experimental group consisted of 200 students who participated in the educational intervention, while the control group comprised 260 students who did not. Participants belonged to degree or master's programs where adherence to the APA format was mandatory, with 55.1% majoring in Psychology and 41.7% in Education, hailing from three Spanish universities. Before the intervention, participants completed questionnaires evaluating their proficiency in using the APA reference and citation format, self-efficacy in writing and defending academic texts, anxiety levels related to these tasks, and their perception of Instagram's utility for academic purposes. Students in the experimental group were enrolled in a 20-week Instagram-based intervention, conducted from October to March academic years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. They received information on APA guidelines and engaged with the Instagram account in various ways. Following the intervention, students in both the experimental and control groups completed questionnaires assessing the same variables as the pre-intervention assessment. In the second year, the experimental group also answered a questionnaire to gauge their motivations for participating in the intervention.

The results indicate that the educational intervention significantly improved students' proficiency in using APA guidelines (p < .001) and boosted their self-efficacy in employing APA when composing academic texts (p < .001). Additionally, it reduced their extrinsic motivation for participating in the intervention (p = .002). Anxiety levels and the perceived usefulness of Instagram for learning academic content remained largely unchanged after the intervention. In contrast, for students in the control group, their proficiency in using APA guidelines did not exhibit significant variations after the intervention, while their anxiety levels (p < .001) and self-efficacy levels (p = .002) increased post-intervention. Our findings underscore the appeal of the educational intervention conducted via Instagram to students, evident in the account's substantial following. The intervention was proven to be efficient, aiding students in acquiring the necessary competencies for the successful utilization of APA guidelines.

Keywords:

Educational intervention, educational innovation, APA format, higher education, Instagram.