Innovative diffusion and social penetration in education: WhatsApp as a medium of communication for thesis guidance between lecturers and students

Abstract

This study aims to describe the use of WhatsApp as a medium of communication between lecturers and students for thesis guidance. Analyzing how students connect with supervisors using WhatsApp is relevant, including consultation for thesis guidance. The subjects of this research are 45 students who have been undergoing thesis guidance since 2022. This study uses the theory of diffusion of innovation and the theory of social penetration to examine the data. According to the findings of this study, the longer students receive thesis guidance from lecturers via WhatsApp, the closer their relationship will be. On the other hand, some students fail to build communication and close relationships because they rarely get a response from the lecturer. This is due to the tight schedule of lecturers outside of teaching hours. In addition, the adoption of WhatsApp as an innovation for thesis guidance has not been utilized by all lecturers and students. The tendency to reject this innovation is caused by the convenience and habits of students. Several lecturers and students tend to be more comfortable with face-to-face thesis guidance.