K-12 teachers’ professional development and learning on social media: a systematic literature review
Authors: Mercado Feliza Marie Santos , Shin Sungwon 
Published: December 2024

Purpose

In response to challenges in traditional professional development, educators are increasingly utilizing social media platforms to customize their learning experiences and facilitate their professional growth. This systematic literature review seeks to examine articles published between January 2018 and July 2023 to synthesize evidence on the ways in which teachers are leveraging social media to improve their teaching practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to guide the literature review process. First, the authors established synthesis questions, set up eligibility criteria and determined search engines and search terms to identify the relevant literature. Second, the authors sorted and selected from the preliminary article search and screened based on the established criteria. Finally, the authors analyzed each selected article’s content, which included coding, interpreting the themes and organizing the findings.

Findings

Teachers are increasingly using social media for professional development, engaging in collaboration, empowering connection, and relationship-building through teacherpreneurship. They take on various roles, from info-consumers and info-networkers to self-seeking contributors, vocationalists and lurkers. Despite these benefits, challenges remain, such as potential for unexpected misunderstandings, social comparison that can lead to low self-esteem, which can hinder effective engagement in social media-based professional development. Additionally, this paper observed a growing trend in scholarly articles on this topic, particularly from 2020, 2021 and 2022, highlighting its increasing relevance and impact on the educational community.

Research limitations/implications

This systematic literature review focused exclusively on studies involving in-service K-12 teachers as participants, excluding perspectives from preservice teachers, higher education instructors, instructional coaches and school administrators. While these other educational professionals undoubtedly offer valuable insights into improving teaching practices and contribute significantly to social media-based professional development, this review aimed to center the experiences of K-12 in-service teachers to understand their unique professional development needs and practices. Consequently, it does not capture the potential synergies between K-12 teachers and other educator groups, such as the ways in which school administrators might support or enhance in-service teachers’ professional development through social media. Future studies could explore these interactions more deeply to provide a fuller picture of the collective expertise within these groups.

Practical implications

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the value of social media for informal professional development, as shown by the increased number of publications on this topic during that period. However, some social media platforms prioritize consumerism over educational resources, emphasizing the need for educators to critically evaluate their sources. Teachers should be discerning in their resource selection, ensuring that educational references are credible and free of hidden costs.

Social implications

This study uncovered several unique patterns in how teachers use social media, revealing both benefits and challenges. Notably, some teachers are leveraging social media not only to build professional connections but also to engage in commercial activities. While this practice can create a supportive network – where teachers promote one another’s visibility, share products and seek support – it can also detract from the intended purpose of professional learning. The focus on brand-building and profit-making may overshadow authentic community-building and collaborative growth. Additionally, the presence of paid content introduces financial barriers, as many teachers have limited resources for professional development.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive review of recent literature (January 2018 to July 2023) on teachers' use of social media for professional development and learning, offering fresh insights into emerging trends. Notably, findings of this study highlight the role of teacherpreneurship in fostering beneficial social connections within digital spaces, a factor that has gained prominence as teachers seek collaborative and supportive networks. Additionally, this research sheds light on lurking as a common strategy among teachers to avoid conflict and misunderstandings when engaging in social media-based professional development. Furthermore, by addressing various challenges, this paper presents suggestions for thoughtfully integrating social media into school professional development programs, with the intention of supporting the diverse needs of teachers and fostering their professional growth.