Understanding the De-professionalization of Teaching: Is Representation in Social Media Constructing the Problem?

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Implications of Public Opinion from Media Spaces Toward Education and Equity

Abstract

This study examines how social media has the potential to influence the dominant narrative surrounding teachers and education. When looking at TikTok, the hashtag #TeachersOfTikTok has more than 4.6 million posts attached to it, with 68 million views of the top video. The number of folks engaging with these videos – both inside and outside of education – highlight the need to make sense of both the types of videos attached to this hashtag, as well as how/if people are critically questioning them. This study focuses specifically on pre-service teachers and their level of critical interaction with #TeachersOfTikTok. The findings indicate that representation of teaching in social media can do harm and perpetuate a narrative that runs counter to the work of teaching.

Authors

• Danielle T Ligocki, Oakland University

• Martha Wilkins, Lewis University