Pandemics, Social Justice, and Social Media: Antibias, Antiracist Edu-Influencers' Instagram Messaging During COVID-19

• In Event: Technology's Role in Culturally Responsive Instruction and Antiracism

Abstract

Although social media are commonplace in many educators’ professional lives, their Instagram activities have received little attention from researchers. We analyzed 551 publicly published Instagram posts made by 11 anti-bias, anti-racist (ABAR) edu-influencers over an 8-week period in Spring 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic and renewed activism for racial justice in the U.S. were unfolding. Qualitative findings show the ABAR edu-influencers acted as boundary spanning teacher educators, with messaging aiming to support teacher-followers in developing culturally relevant pedagogies. However, their activity also included corporate and personal promotion. We discuss implications of these findings for educators and teacher educators seeking to advance culturally relevant and anti-oppressive teaching in a digital age, and the future of research on educators’ social media activities.

Authors

• Catharyn Crane Shelton, Northern Arizona University

• Jeffrey Paul Carpenter, Elon University

• Rachelle Curcio, University of South Carolina

• Stephanie Schroeder, The Pennsylvania State University