Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

College

College of Education and Social Sciences

First Advisor

Suzanne Horn

Second Advisor

Jennifer Boyle

Third Advisor

Corinne Dalelio

Abstract

Social Networking Sites or SNSs have been used as a form of self-guided professional development (PD) by educators of all grade levels. However, there are limited students regarding Secondary educators using SNSs as a form of self-guided PD and there is also a lack of an examination of how those educators are using what the learn from SNSs within an English classroom. The purpose of this research was to determine not only what Secondary English educators seek on SNSs for self-guided PD but also if that what they learn is applied to their classroom practices and if they are successful. This study uses a mixed method approach with first a survey being sent out to Secondary English educators and from the survey participants were selected based on their social media usage and if they had tried what they learned from those platforms within the classroom. The survey was shared on social media and was presented at the 2024 South Carolina Council of English Teachers conference. The research revealed that not only do educators use what they learn in their classroom, but they also found some success. SNSs also fill the gaps left by traditional PD provided by the school and/or district level. Four themes developed during the interview process: adaptability, relatability, support and collaboration. One or more of these themes need to be presented within the content being presented or the professional learning community (PLC) for users to see the information as valuable.

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