Examining Teachers’ Personal and Professional Use of Facebook: Recommendations for teacher education programming
Source: Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 20(1), 71-88. January 2012
In this study, the authors employed a quantitative approach with an exploration of descriptive data to examine Facebook site features pre-service educators use and how those features are utilized in personal and professional ways.
Quantitative results indicate that interaction on Facebook is reciprocal.
That is, the number of posts made to a wall was significantly related to the number of updates made by the profile owner.
In addition, over 50% of profiles included pictures depicting heavy alcohol/binge drinking, 17% contained at least one sexually explicit photo, and 10% included pictures and names of K-12 students from practicum/internship assignments.
Descriptive data indicated limited use of Facebook in professional ways.
However, where professional interactions were noted, profile owners utilized peers for instructional ideas and ongoing classroom support.