Date

3-2020

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)

Chair

Gail Collins

Keywords

Teacher Induction, Social Media, Teacher Attrition

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of teachers who have used social media to facilitate their first year of teaching during new teacher induction. Social media is described as blogging, discussion boards, Facebook, Google Hangouts, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, or YouTube videos. The theories guiding this study were Knowles’ adult learning theory and Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory as they relate to how adults learn and are motivated by following the examples of role models. Transcendental phenomenology was selected as the research method to consider the experiences of teachers returning for their second or third year of teaching and attempt to discover what their induction encounter was like. This study considered if social media has become a formal or informal part of induction programs. The central research question that guided the study asked, What role does social media play in the new teacher induction experience? Ten teachers provided input through three data collection methods that included online participant journals, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. Five themes were developed during data analysis including social media usage, communication between new teachers and mentors, reasons teacher quit, teacher induction experiences, and what support is needed. These themes confirmed that social media plays an informal yet important role in the new teacher induction experience. All participants connected with social media resources daily for assistance with lesson planning, classroom management, advice for interactive and engaging activities, and for questions and emotional support.

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