Understanding the Influence of Digital Habits and Social Factors on Academic Performance

Private higher education institutions in Malaysia play a vital role in producing digitally skilled workers that can support the Malaysia Education Blueprint, Malaysian Qualifications Framework, Industry4WRD and MyDIGITA, while also achieving the outcomes of the Sustainable Development Goals. However, these institutions face several significant issues including not developing 21st century skillsets (e.g., critical thinking, self-regulation and responsible use of technology) consistently among their students. This conceptual paper reconceptualises academic performance as being determined mostly by demonstrable employability skills/competencies and not by academic results. This research will then consider how well constructs such as digital well-being, digital self-control, satisfaction with life, digital homo-ignorance, and social anxiety can predict students’ success at private higher education institutions (HEIs). Using Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as a theoretical foundation, the proposed conceptual framework will delineate how there are reciprocal relationships among personal factors, digital environments, and self-regulatory behaviours of students, with self-efficacy being the primary mechanism for achieving lifelong success. The research has the potential to contribute to academia by providing a performance discourse which is inclusive of both the digital and the socio-psychological dimensions while also providing valuable information for policymakers and HEIs to assist in reframing their curricula, digital hygiene, information literacy and student well-being interventions. The research helps mitigate urgent gaps in employability, improves the competitiveness of institutions, to underpin Malaysia's aspirations as a leading education hub. This paper is limited in its conceptual nature, thus potential research is warranted to empirically test this framework, encompassing broader student populations, advanced quantitative methods and longitudinal designs. Ultimately, the framework demonstrates that HEIs need to develop holistic graduates that are digitally balanced, with cognitive expertise, emotional robustness, and future preparedness.