ERIC Number: EJ1103421
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1528-5804
EISSN: N/A
Participatory Learning through Social Media: How and Why Social Studies Educators Use Twitter
Krutka, Daniel G.; Carpenter, Jeffrey P.
Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE Journal), v16 n1 p38-59 2016
The microblogging service Twitter offers a platform that social studies educators increasingly use for professional development, communication, and class activities, but to what ends? The authors drew on Deweyan conceptions of participatory learning and citizenship aims of the field as lenses through which to consider social media activities. To determine how and why social studies educators use Twitter, 303 K-16 self-identified social studies educators were surveyed in this study. Results from respondents suggested that they valued the professional development experiences afforded by the platform, but were less likely to utilize Twitter for communication or class activities. Themes and examples that point to ways social studies educators use Twitter are described to provide insights for educators aiming to use social media professionally. Questions are also raised concerning whether social studies educators have missed opportunities to use social media to connect across racial and cultural boundaries and for civic purposes.
Descriptors: Social Media, Computer Mediated Communication, Social Networks, Electronic Publishing, Web Sites, Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Participatory Research, Social Studies, Teachers, Teacher Surveys, Professional Development, Class Activities, Citizen Participation, Technological Advancement, Citizenship Education, Citizenship, Web 2.0 Technologies, Interaction, Multimedia Materials, Technology Uses in Education, Media Literacy, Questioning Techniques, Grounded Theory, Interrater Reliability, Progressive Education
Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327. Tel: 757-366-5606; Fax: 703-997-8760; e-mail: business@aace.org; Web site: http://www.aace.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A