School-Based Support for Teachers' Use of Twitter to Learn: What Does It Look Like?

• In Event: 43.078 - MTCC Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 43.078-8 - Innovative Supervision Practices for Leaders

Abstract

This mixed-methods study investigated school-based support for K-5 teachers’ use of Twitter to learn. A total of 107 participants were included in the final survey sample. Interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 19 teachers. Key findings from this sample revealed two-thirds of participants having support from administrators. Support was perceived as school administrators who: (1) encouraged teachers to share classroom activities on Twitter, and (2) who were active on Twitter. Participants felt discouraged by administrators who seemed mostly interested in maintaining the status quo. Implications for these findings include school leaders taking into consideration Twitter’s use as a learning space for teachers. School-based support may help teachers critically evaluate information and ensure its alignment with evidence-based teaching practices.

Author

• Talia C. Nochumson, Oak Knoll School