From Entertainment to Education: A Phenomenological Study of Students’ Self-Directed Learning Experiences with TikTok

Abstract

This study examines a common problem: adding digital technology to education does not always lead to real learning, a gap often called the “rich-technology, poor-pedagogy” phenomenon. Although students increasingly use social media platforms, most studies remain quantitative or focus on media development, and few capture how students themselves experience and make sense of these tools. This study aims to explore and describe in depth how senior high school students experience using TikTok as a self-directed learning resource. Using a qualitative phenomenological design based on Adrian van Kaam’s procedure, data were collected from eight purposively selected students at MAN 1 Yogyakarta through in-depth semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentation, with validity ensured through triangulation and member checking. The results show that students turn TikTok from an entertainment app into an effective tool for solving academic problems through short-video visualization. Learning is felt as enjoyable because of low academic pressure, relatable language, and easy access, in line with micro-learning. The study’s main contribution is a learner typology, comprising critical, pragmatic, and passive types, that links lived experience to the Technology Acceptance Model, showing that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use shape self-directed learning. The findings offer practical guidance for teachers to act as curators of valid digital content rather than as the sole source of knowledge.