ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
This study explores the integration of WhatsApp polls as a pedagogical tool to enhance engagement, critical thinking, and reflective learning among foundation students in a Business Management course at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP). Recognising that many of these students come from non-business backgrounds with limited prior exposure to core concepts, the study addresses the need for low-stakes, accessible, and interactive learning strategies that extend beyond traditional classroom boundaries. A total of 18 WhatsApp polls were administered to 166 students across four academic disciplines, with poll design mapped to specific Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs). The study adopted an action research approach, incorporating descriptive data analysis to examine participation trends, reflective responses, and the role of real-time feedback. Four key independent variables were evaluated: Technology Integration, Reflective Learning, Instant Feedback, and Active Engagement, with Critical Thinking Ability serving as a mediating construct and Active Engagement as the primary learning outcome. Findings revealed consistently high student participation, with evidence of improved conceptual understanding and increased motivation to engage with course material beyond scheduled class hours. Student feedback further confirmed the effectiveness of WhatsApp polls in fostering deeper thinking and collaborative learning. The proposed conceptual framework illustrates how mobile-based interventions can effectively support foundational business education by bridging formal and informal learning environments. This study contributes to the discourse on mobile-supported learning in higher education by demonstrating the practical value of repurposing familiar digital platforms into structured learning tools. While limitations such as poll design constraints were noted, the study highlights the broader pedagogical potential of WhatsApp in shaping inclusive, reflective, and student-centred learning experiences.
Ahmed, S. T. S. (2019). Chat and Learn: Effectiveness of Using WhatsApp as a Pedagogical Tool to Enhance EFL Learners Reading and Writing Skills. International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies, 8(2), 61–68. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.23.2019.82.61.68
Anuyahong, B., & Pucharoen, N. (2023). Exploring the Effectiveness of Mobile Learning Technologies in Enhancing Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (IJET), 18(18), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i18.40445
Baporikar, N. (2020). Reflective Teaching and Technology Integration in Management Education (pp. 153–169). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-0238-9.ch012
Baporikar, N. (2021). Reflective Teaching and Technology Integration in Management Education. In Research Anthology on Business and Technical Education in the Information Era (pp. 435–452). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-5345-9.ch024
Deng, W., & Wang, L. (2025). The Impact of Mobile Technology on English Writing Teaching: The Relationship between Interactive Feedback and Autonomous Learning Abilities. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (IJIM), 19(02), 180–194. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v19i02.53747
Durgungoz, A., & Durgungoz, F. C. (2022). “We are much closer here”: exploring the use of WhatsApp as a learning environment in a secondary school mathematics class. Learning Environments Research, 25(2), 423–444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-021-09371-0
Herlina, M., Lubis, R., & Fitriyani, N. (2023). THE INFLUENCE OF WHATSAPP GROUP-BASED BLENDED LEARNING ON STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES. Jurnal Bioconcetta, 9(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.22202/bc.2022.v8i2.6826
John, K. V. (2022). AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE EXTENT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UTILISE MOBILE EDUCATIONAL APPLICATIONS FOR LEARNING. Acta Informatica Malaysia, 6(1), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.26480/aim.01.2022.25.33
Kasture, A. B. (2024). A Study and Technical Analysis of Polling Feature Provided by Social Media Application - “WhatsApp”: Functionality Advancement by Introducing Suggestive Improvements. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4696105
Madden, O. N., & Robinson, T. (2024). Exploring the interplay between WhatsApp and reflective journals in telecollaborative projects. CALL for Humanity - EuroCALL 2024 Short Papers, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.4995/EuroCALL2024.2024.19100
Martinez, M. E., & Gomez, V. (2025). Active Learning Strategies: A Mini Review of Evidence-Based Approaches. Acta Pedagogia Asiana, 4(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.53623/apga.v4i1.555
Bahador, M. H. (2025). Click, Reflect, Learn: Transforming WhatsApp into a Pedagogical Tool. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 14(2), 1051–1059.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode