class: left, bottom, title-slide .title[ # Beginning Science Teachers’ Self-Directed Learning ] .subtitle[ ## Improving Instructional Practice Through Social Media Use ] .author[ ### Bret Staudt Willet | Florida State University ] .date[ ### February 7, 2024 ] --- class: inverse, center, middle #
**View the slides:** [bretsw.com/sdl24](https://bretsw.com/sdl24/) --- class: inverse, center, middle #
[Preprint paper available](sdl24-preprint.pdf) --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Introduction --- #
Beginning Teachers <img src="img/teacher.jpg" width="680px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- Teaching is hard at any career stage -- but especially starting. --- #
Beginning Teachers <img src="img/teacher.jpg" width="680px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> Social media tools offer new opportunities for beginning teachers -- but also introduce new challenges. --- #
Beginning Teachers <img src="img/crowd.jpg" width="680px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> Beginning teachers must juggle more competing voices -- and for ongoing learning of what and how to teach. --- #
Beginning Teachers <img src="img/stress.jpg" width="320px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> Professional development can't keep up, -- so self-directed learning is more important than ever. --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Gap --- #
Gap <img src="img/phones.jpg" width="680px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- Unclear how self-directed learning through social media -- impacts instructional practice --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Framework --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Context-Aware Self-Teaching <br> (CAST) --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/SDL.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- ### SDL as a Journey --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/0-SDL-journey.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> ### SDL as a Journey --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/0-SDL-journey1.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> ### SDL as a Journey: **1. Performance Objective** --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/0-SDL-journey2.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> ### SDL as a Journey: **2. Starting Context** --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/0-SDL-journey3.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> ### SDL as a Journey: **3. Practice Opportunities** --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/0-SDL-journey4.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> ### SDL as a Journey: **4. Difficulty Level** --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/0-SDL-journey5.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> ### SDL as a Journey: **5. Content Area** --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching <img src="img/0-SDL-journey6.png" width="100%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> ### SDL as a Journey: **6. External Guide** --- #
Context-Aware Self-Teaching 1.
Performance Objective 2.
Starting Context 3.
Practice Opportunities 4.
Difficulty Level 5.
Content Area 6.
External Guide --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Purpose --- #
Purpose <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="680px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- Explore how beginning science teachers -- seek SDL through social media --- #
Purpose <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="680px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **RQ1.** What social media sources for SDL? -- **RQ2.** What effect does SDL through social media have on instructional practice? --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Method --- #
Method <img src="img/cases.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Design:** -- Qualitative Multiple Case Study --- #
Method <img src="img/teaching.jpg" width="360px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Participants:** -- - FSU alumni (*n* = 5) -- - Science teachers in Florida (across middle and high school) -- - First or second year of teaching -- - Active social media users --- #
Method <img src="img/writing.jpg" width="480px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Data Collection:** (March to May 2022) -- - 8 weeks of **diary entries** reflecting upon social media use -- - Pre- and post-**interviews** -- - 3 **think aloud** demonstrations of lesson plans --- #
Method <img src="img/colors.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Data Analysis:** -- - Thematic analysis of diary entries and interview transcripts -- - CAST framework + emergent codes --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Results --- #
Results <img src="img/build.jpg" width="680px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **
Analysis is still in progress
** -- Results presented here represent 2 of the 5 participants --- #
Results <img src="img/teaching.jpg" width="420px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- **Ginny** -- - First-year 8th-grade science teacher in a public school -- - TeachersPayTeachers.com (TPT), TikTok, and YouTube for professional learning --- #
Results <img src="img/teaching.jpg" width="420px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Sarah** -- - First-year high school science teacher in a private Catholic school -- - Facebook and Instagram for professional learning --- #
Results <img src="img/teaching.jpg" width="420px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Both Ginny and Sarah** -- - Social aspect of SDL very important, but based in school -- - Social media tools were a secondary outlet for SDL -- - Social media tools were for finding resources and ideas for instruction as well as staying updated on what is happening --- #
Results <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- **RQ1. What social media sources for SDL?** -- - TeachersPayTeachers.com (TPT), TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram -- - But SDL spanned online and local, with in-school being primary --- #
Results <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Usefulness of SDL through social media:** -- - Getting the broad perspectives -- - Efficiently finding ideas and resources --- #
Results <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Limits of SDL through social media:** -- - Maintaining social boundaries around social media use --- #
Results <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Limits of SDL through social media:** - Finding time to locate and adapt resources --- #
Results <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **Limits of SDL through social media:** - Determining quality and relevancy of instructional resources found through social media --- #
Results <img src="img/teacher.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **RQ2. What effect on instructional practice?** -- - More often, **noninstructional** impacts: -- - stress relief, staying informed, prompts for self-reflection --- #
Results <img src="img/teacher.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> **RQ2. What effect on instructional practice?** - Some **instructional** impacts: -- - being inspired by and getting resources from other teachers -- - but, generally limited in scope --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Discussion --- #
Discussion <img src="img/SDL.png" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- - Literature describes lots possibilities for SDL through social media, -- - but this is not evident here. --- #
Discussion <img src="img/SDL.png" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> - Do they know how? -- - Are they interested? -- - Do they have capacity? --- #
Discussion <img src="img/SDL.png" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> - Across 13 chances (8 weeks of diary entries and 5 interviews), SDL through social media was very limited -- - Getting a few ideas for classroom management, warm-up activities, lesson resources that needed to be modified. --- #
Discussion <img src="img/SDL.png" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> - Did not look for mentors, seek out feedback, or test new ideas -- - Solitary, information-retrieval approach than a community-oriented one -- - Some affordances of social media were maximized while others were neglected --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Implications --- #
Implications <img src="img/character-builder.png" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- 1. SDL is an essential skill for teachers at all career stages -- 2. SDL should be viewed as part of a professional development **ecosystem** -- 3. SDL is a voluntary effort that should be acknowledged and supported --- #
Implications <img src="img/0-SDL-journey.png" width="640px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> 1. SDL is an essential skill for teachers at all career stages 2. SDL should be viewed as part of a professional development **ecosystem** 3. SDL is a voluntary effort that should be acknowledged and supported --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Limitations & <br> Future Research --- #
Limitations <img src="img/tune.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- - Finish data analysis -- - Include classroom observations and conduct study over longer period -- - Conduct design- or intervention-based research to validate the CAST framework --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Conclusion --- #
Conclusion <img src="img/SDL.png" width="720px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- - SDL is a trainable skill -- - Teachers could engage in SDL in more sophisticated ways to tackle more sophisticated objectives --- class: inverse, center, middle #
<br><br> Questions **What would you like to know more about?** <hr> <br><br><br><br> **Bret Staudt Willet** | Florida State University
[bret.staudtwillet@fsu.edu](mailto:bret.staudtwillet@fsu.edu) |
[bretsw.com](https://bretsw.com) |
[GitHub](https://github.com/bretsw/)