Research examined primary and secondary level teachers’ use of a social media network early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the research sought to identify themes and sub-themes associated with teacher networking efforts during the first three weeks of the transition to online/remote teaching. A blend of phenomenology and historical analysis was used to examine selected Twitter hashtags. Results are reported using three broad themes: 1) knowledge sharing/building, 2) skill building, and 3) dispositions allowing for explanation and exploration of the data. Examples of tweets aligned to the dispositional theme are shared. Results will be of interest to teacher educators and administrators interested in learning more about what was going on in schools at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Results will be useful for instructional technologists, policy makers, and others interested in how teachers’ social media use early in the pandemic reflected the evolving situation in primary and secondary schools.

Author: Beverly Ray

Published in: London International Conference on Education (LICE-2023)

• Date of Conference: 13-15 November 2023
• DOI: 10.20533/LICE.2023.0005
• ISBN: 978-1-913572-66-2
• Conference Location: St Anne’s College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK