Contribution of Social Media on the Professional Development of Secondary School Teachers in Ukerewe District, Tanzania

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.