Tweeting for #Professional Capital: Preservice Teachers’ Perception and Practice
Abstract: The purpose of this research was to examine preservice teachers' (N=250) perception of building professional capital through Twitter. The methodology involved designing and administering the survey questionnaire to the criterion-referenced sample of preservice teachers along with an examination of their Twitter accounts for occurrence and frequency of pedagogical tweeting. The data analysis entailed analyzing participants’ responses on the survey items, as well as examining their respective Twitter handles for pedagogical usage of Twitter. The survey results revealed participants’ indifference regarding Twitter as a professional capital building platform. The results also indicated lack of pedagogical engagement with Twitter among preservice teachers. Implications for teacher education programs with regard to preparing preservice teachers to be globally connected educators who have the knowledge, skills and dispositions to be future ready to teach in our schools are discussed.
Presider: Kamisha Kirby, North Carolina State University/SPCC