The Impact of Social Media on K-12 Teachers’ Perceptions of Their Profession: An Experimental Study

• In Event: Digital Professionalism and Immersive Technologies in Teacher Education and Practice

Abstract

Social media can affect teachers’ perceptions of their profession, yet empirical evidence on such influence remains limited. This study investigates how exposure to positive, negative, or mixed teaching-related social media content impacts US K-12 teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction, respect, autonomy, and professional support. Using a pre- and post-test experimental design, 406 teachers were exposed to curated Instagram posts varying in emotional valence. Changes in perceptions were analyzed through descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and fitted regression models. Exposure to negative content significantly diminished perceptions of professional respect and support, whereas exposure to positive content moderately improved job satisfaction. These results highlight the role of social media and digital narratives in teacher well-being and suggest implications for teacher retention efforts.

Authors

• Victoria Puglia, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

• Suzanne E. Graham, University of New Hampshire

• Jeffrey P. Carpenter, Elon University