Teacherpreneurial Behaviors and Social Networks: Diffusions of Resources Across Virtual Spaces

• In Event: 66.040 - Virtual Social Networks and Social Media: Shaping Teaching, Learning, and Policy Discourse

Abstract

In an information age, social media allows one to observe interactions and examine differences within a social network. Many classroom teachers, taking initiative to find, share, and sell materials or ideas related to their teaching practice may be considered entrepreneurs. Given risks in wasting time, effort, and investment in resources of unknown quality, teachers continue to pursue supplemental materials and practices outside those provided within their local districts or social networks. Paper two examines the teacherpreneur, a phenomenon in the current eduational landscape.

Teacherpreneurial behaviors often occur as individuals form virtual social networks and develop trust with one another. Authors assert teacherpreneurs seek out other teacher practitioners in the pursuit of exemplary teaching resources, practices, and pedagogy. Using a situative perspective, teachers’ virtual social network community may frame their meaning making and understandings of educational reform. Education literature has explored the different aspects of teacher community and collaboration in and across schools (Jones, Youngs, & Frank, 2013).  Educational reformers have attempted to improve teacher practices, with some success, through formal communities (Archinstein, 2002; Fullan, 1991) providing teachers an opportunity to make meaning of teaching practices and learn from one another (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Yet increasingly accessible technology has expanded boundaries of teacher collaboration. Teachers’ interactions and collaborations, to exchange and gain professional knowledge or improve teaching practices (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Frank, Zhao & Borman, 2004; Baker-Doyle & Yoon, 2010; Frank, Zhao, Penuel, Ellefson, & Porter, 2011) may influence their development, social capital, and practice over time (Spillane, Kim, & Frank, 2012).  

Using a prevailing social media platform, Pinterest, as a way to manage their enterprise, teachers facilitate the acquisition and promotion of teaching practices and ideology with virtual network members. Teacherpreneurs scrapbook ideas, pinning lessons, exemplary teaching, and resources in personalized libraries for later reference. Users may customize their news feed by following those people they are connected with and the pins and boards they post.  This situative learning may allow teachers to connect with their colleagues virtually, engaging in both self-directed and incidental learning.

Early career teachers, ECTs, develop trust in one another and often seek advice regarding teaching practice; trusting peers more than experts or publishers (Education Week Research Center, 2014). This study examines the entrepreneurial behavior of ECTs and their experienced counterparts. Using a sample of ECTs and the nominations of their closest colleagues, we observe entrepreneurial behaviors on Pinterest, identifying differences in compositional and structural characteristics within the virtual social network.

Analysis includes an iterative coding process to identify ECTs’ resource “pins,” categorizing by primary source function as patterns emerge. Pins fall within three categories, teacher-to-teacher markets (TTMs), teacher blogs, and organizations. TTMs define online platforms where teachers share and sell classroom resources; comparing products directly across vendors. Teacher blogs include independent websites created by individuals or groups of teachers who openly reflect and share their professional values. Finally, organizations refer to companies or other groups of experts diffusing knowledge under an organizational enterprise.

Authors

• Kaitlin T Torphy, Michigan State University

• Sihua Hu, Michigan State University

• Yuqing Liu, Michigan State University

• Zixi Chen, Michigan State University