The impact of YouTube on student learning and pedagogical integration in Malaysian higher education

This study explores how YouTube supports student learning and teaching practices in Malaysian higher education, with a focus on both academic outcomes and students’ own experiences. A survey and polls were carried out over 6 campuses in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Malaysia to better understand why students turn to YouTube and how they view it as a learning tool. Some of the findings show that many students appreciate the platform because it is free (53.9%) and easy to access (32.4%). Most respondents (90.5%) reported started using YouTube for educational purposes during their secondary school years, suggesting that it has long been part of their study habits. In terms of usability, 64.7% described it as “super easy” to navigate, and 76.7% recommended it as an effective resource for learning. While YouTube was seen positively, 72.8% of students also expressed a preference for more structured platforms such as Google Classroom or those introduced by their lecturers. Overall, the study suggests that YouTube plays a meaningful role as both a supplementary learning resource and a teaching aid, with valuable implications for digital pedagogy in Malaysian universities.