Examining the Role of Social Media as an Educational Tool Among Pre-Service Teachers

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine the role of social media as an educational tool for teacher development among pre-service teachers. One hundred twenty-five pre-service teachers, from a four-year medium sized, suburban public university located in southeast Texas, participated in an online survey. Data collected with the Teachers’ Use of Social Media Survey and interviews revealed the social media tools used most often by Texas pre-service teachers, the perceived effectiveness, and how social media is being used for teacher development. Overall, participants reported social media as being an effective tool to assist with preparing them for their future classrooms. Findings indicated that Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube were the most popular tools and were frequently used to find resources and lesson ideas.