Abstract:
In the digital age, the use of social media has become more prevalent than ever
before. In the education field, an increasing number of teachers are actively
engaging in pedagogical discussions worldwide using online professional
communities. Thus, these online professional communities, facilitated through
social media platforms, offer a wide range of opportunities, including networking,
learning, and contributing to professional development. This paper aims to
reflect on the potentialities of social media in individual and collective
professional development among secondary school teachers in the Ukerewe
District in the Mwanza region. The specific objectives of this study were to
ascertain the social media platforms of choice for professional development,
analyse the range of activities that teachers participate in on social media
platforms, and investigate the specific ways in which social media has
contributed to professional development. A cross-sectional research design that
mainly relied on quantitative research approaches was employed for the study.
A simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 140
participants who were administered a self-report questionnaire. The findings of
the study revealed that secondary school teachers actively use social media for
professional development, with platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and
Twitter being popular choices. The study suggests two important
recommendations. First, institutions should integrate social media-based
professional development opportunities into existing professional development
programs and plans. Second, institutions should encourage the formation of
online professional learning communities on social media platforms to facilitate
professional development.
