29-04-2025
How TikTok is becoming beneficial for exam students
Parents of secondary students with exams coming up may not be aware that their child's use of TikTok could be benefitting them due to the rise in 'edu-tainment' content on the video sharing app.
Science teacher Tadgh O'Donovan has amassed 400,000 followers on the app through sharing school life skits as well as educational content.
Tadgh had been teaching in the United Kingdom for a few years when the pandemic hit and had never had any interest in social media. Science teacher Tadgh O'Donovan has amassed 400,000 followers on the app through sharing school life skits as well as education content. Pic: Tadgh O'Donovan/ TikTok
'We were trying to get kids onto Google classroom and getting them to do a bit of online learning, and it just wasn't hitting home,' Tadgh told 'There was nothing resonating with them and they were just not interested.
'At the time, I was living with a couple of people and they were all on TikTok and they were using TikTok and making TikToks. I was kinda going, 'Go on — teach me this while I have the chance.''
After learning the art of the platform, Tadgh created his own account and made a few videos, thinking maybe some of the students in the local area might come across them.
The Cork man was also doing school runs for the school at the time, where he made visits to students in disadvantaged areas. During these visits, he learned that the kids were on their phones scrolling on TikTok day in and day out. @teachwithtadgh You know it's not going to be good when you get hit with this move. 😬 #teacher #school #student #studentlife #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound – 🧍🏾♀️🧍🏾♀️
'I was like, 'Okay, the students are there; the students are over there. They're not interested in Google Class,' It just made sense [to] make some videos over there,' Tadgh revealed.
Tadgh later made the move back to Ireland and explained that he was 'itching to get back into the classroom' in between jobs, so started doing TikTok Live lessons.
'There was a couple of hundred kids in every single lesson coming to learn Science,' he revealed, later adding: 'I had a load of parents messaging me like, 'I thought my kid was just scrolling on TikTok and they told me they were actually learning Science.'' The teacher told that TikTok lessons were a 'massive, untapped market' of students who were likely not getting exactly what they needed from school. Pic: Tadgh O'Donovan/ TikTok
The teacher told that TikTok lessons were a 'massive, untapped market' of students who were likely not getting exactly what they needed from school.
'There is this little catchment of 30-40% of students who don't like putting their hands up in class; don't like drawing attention to themselves,' he explained.
'For those students, they like to have a platform where they can talk or ask their questions without being afraid of judgement from the rest of the class. I think that's where TikTok live came in very handy.'
On top of TikTok Live lessons for the quieter students, Tadgh added that it was beneficial to those who may need additional lessons but cannot afford grinds.
'These lessons are live so they're free on TikTok for them to use.'
As well as educational content, Tadgh shares skits on school life, noting 'there's so many facets of school life that we can all have a laugh and a joke about.'
He said: 'There is life outside of constantly learning something new. You can have a little bit of fun. It's a blend of edu-tainment as I call it — a little bit of education and entertainment at the same time.'
Tadgh added that he has found his students have given him more 'buy-in' as a result of his TikTok account but added that while the initial reaction from new students is awe, the other years are like 'Relax, he's nothing special.'
'It's the most Irish thing ever that they humble you,' he told with a laugh.
The Cork native paid tribute to fellow TikTok educational creators including Ms Biochem, who his own students have learned much from.
'I've given a big tip to my class about the shortcut to getting 80-90% — and there is a method to the madness of how you can get a good grade without putting the maximum amount of work — and I don't know how many times I've said it and it never really clicked with any of them until Ms BioChem said it,' he explained.
