Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore beginning teachers' diverse challenges and how these are related to self-directed professional learning through social media. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a content analysis of 2,445 "New Teacher" tagged posts shared in the r/Teachers subreddit. With 1,246 posts…

Purpose: To explore secondary school physical educators' use of Twitter (now X) for professional development, examining engagement patterns and evolution over time through the lens of sense of community theory. Method: Sixty-one secondary school physical educators completed a questionnaire shared on Twitter (now X). Ten teachers also completed…

This study investigated Turkish Language teachers' posts in a Facebook group regarding professional development during an academic year. This study was designed to be a case study, which employed qualitative research methods. The teachers whose posts were the most relevant to professional development were selected among the three Facebook groups…

Social media platforms play important roles in many educators' lives. In particular, teacher professional activities on Twitter have received attention from scholars. However, research has not typically explored Twitter use with attention to the diverse national contexts in which teachers work. To address this literature gap, the present…

This study investigates community sentiments and opinions regarding the use of ChatGPT in education within online user forums. Large Language Model (LLM)-based sentiment analysis was conducted on the posts and comments submitted to Teachers Subreddit, an online community for educators. The analysis revealed that the members of Teachers Subreddit…

Members in online communities of practice (CoPs) take advantage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to exchange practical or work-related knowledge in asynchronous online environments. Practical knowledge represents individuals' mental models allowing them to interact with the environment and perform tasks. With ICTs, practical…

Educators must consider how today's technology-mediated environments expand our conceptualization of learning contexts and the continuities and tensions between learning and participation in various settings. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted educational systems worldwide, necessitating emergency remote teaching and coinciding with increased social…

Purpose: Social networks (SNs) play a significant role as environments supporting teacher professional development. The purpose of this to analyze the motivation and participation roles that Spanish teachers have when participating in SNs for their professional development in three professional stages: preservice teachers, beginning teachers and…

Despite social media's ubiquity in modern life, research on some topics related to educators' use of social media for professional purposes remains underdeveloped, such as how use may change over time. This study explores educators' self-directed learning through social media by comparing change and continuity in how users contribute, interact and…

This research brief comprises three articles published in the three-article dissertation at the University of Missouri (MU) in February 2023. The three-article dissertation, "An Exploration of Online Information Spaces That Support Instructional Design and Teacher Professional Development," examined three online communities of practice…

In response to disruption to education during the COVID-19 pandemic, mobile phone-based messaging has emerged in some instances as an accessible, low-connectivity way of promoting interactivity. However, no recent reviews have been undertaken in relation to how social media and messaging apps can be used to effectively support education in low-…

The purpose of this research was to develop and test an instrument to measure school leaders' use of Twitter for professional development (PD) and learning. Findings from an exploratory factor analysis indicate that the resulting nine-item Twitter for PD Scale offers a valid and reliable instrument to measure school leaders' use of Twitter for PD…

The use of social media may be contributing to violations of copyright law and can create legal challenges for school districts trying to balance ease of communication and First Amendment freedom of speech rights against compliance with federal regulations. In this case, a district is threatened with a lawsuit for copyright violation when one of…

This study examined to what extent educators were able to find opportunities/experiences for personal and/or professional learning though their participation in Twitter Chats. This study also examined what drove educators to participate in Twitter Chats as a means to grow personally and/or professionally. Lastly, this study examined how…

This study explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in K-12 student assessment practices, focusing on educators' use of AI tools. Through content analysis of active Facebook groups dedicated to AI in education, the authors examined how educators integrate AI into assessment across various grade levels and subjects. Using the Technology…