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Design Considerations for Sustaining Teacher Professional Development Support Through Social Media

Williams, Shannon Michele
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8560-6110
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1642169238609705

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Instructional Technology (Education).
It is not uncommon for teachers to feel neglected when leaving a traditional one-and- done professional development workshop. Too often teachers are left to fend for themselves as they begin to implement new strategies into their teaching. Teachers need and deserve continued support as they attempt to carry out the lessons learned in these workshops. This requires more time from the teachers, a resource that is in short supply. To address this issue, this research study sought to design a technology-themed professional development design guide that focused on sustained support, efficiency, and teacher needs when delivered through social media. The design capitalized on a teacher’s cognitive surplus (Shirky, 2010), which is the free time typically used to scroll, swipe, and click through social media feeds. Through a process of diffusion, new teaching strategies that focused on the innovative use of technology were introduced to K-12 teachers in a rural district in Southeast Ohio. The diffusion and subsequent adoption of this innovation were achieved through a design that focused on the relative advantage of the new teaching strategy, its compatibility, and its complexity as perceived by the participating teachers. Communication channels and social systems were intentionally utilized in social media in a way that would increase the likelihood of adoption (Rogers, 1998). These strategies perpetuated the ideals of participatory culture, where users make a social connection, mentor each other through shared experiences online, and are valued for their contributions to the social media feed. Two separate iterations of this design-based research study featured a traditional workshop experience followed by the delivery of continued support through a Facebook group focused on learning how to integrate innovative technology teaching practices. Data collected via design critiques, observations, the Facebook stream, and my design journals informed the design of a Workshop Design Manual. The result is a step- by-step design guide for the design of a professional development experience based on the diffusion of innovations, adult learning theories, utilization of a teachers cognitive surplus, and the characteristics of a participatory culture. The response from teachers has been positive and motivating, with high levels of teacher engagement. It was discovered through a collaborative design process with the teachers that they experienced a feeling of support and satisfaction from their participation in the study. They were not only able to receive support, but also to provide support for their peers as well. The design approach for this delivery method has the potential to serve teachers in many different circumstances in any subject area.
Greg Kessler (Committee Chair)
Sara Helfrich (Committee Member)
Krisanna Lou Machtmes (Committee Member)
Jesse Strycker (Committee Member)
220 p.
Education
social media; Facebook, professional development; in-service teacher; education; training; diffusion of innovation; cognitive surplus; participatory culture; adult learning; educational design research; technology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Williams, S. M. (2022). Design Considerations for Sustaining Teacher Professional Development Support Through Social Media [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1642169238609705

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Williams, Shannon. Design Considerations for Sustaining Teacher Professional Development Support Through Social Media. 2022. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1642169238609705.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Williams, Shannon. "Design Considerations for Sustaining Teacher Professional Development Support Through Social Media." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1642169238609705

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1642169238609705
388
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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.