The Use of Twitter in the Creation of Educational Professional Learning Opportunities

Abstract

This study sought to examine how educators are using Twitter to increase their professional learning opportunities beyond the boundaries of traditional professional development offers, and whether educators feel a greater sense of fulfillment receiving professional development through networking and community learning than they do through traditional means of learning. A population of 160 educators–105 females and 55 males between the ages of 22 and 65–were surveyed using education related hashtags on Twitter. Thirty-two educators from the survey population elected to participate in an interview. The study discovered that educators are frequently using Twitter professionally to collaborate, network, and engage in professional development; 90% of the educators responding said they are extremely likely to use Twitter for professional development in the next 6 months, and 69% of educators said their use of Twitter for professional learning will increase over the coming school year.