class: left, bottom, title-slide # Into the Edu-verse ## Early-Career Educators Seeking Induction Support on Social Media ### K. Bret Staudt Willet ### November 26, 2019 --- class: inverse, center, middle # Early-career Educators --- # Induction ### Transition from preparation to practice <img src="img/teacher.jpg" width="720px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> --- # Induction ### Tension between two worlds about what and how to teach <img src="img/two-worlds.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- 1. Educator preparation program -- 1. School of employment --- # Induction ### Social media: From two worlds to many worlds <img src="img/many-worlds.jpg" width="720px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> --- # Induction ### A universe <img src="img/universe.jpg" width="720px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> --- # Induction ### An edu-verse: many voices offering ideas about what and how to teach <img src="img/edu-verse.jpg" width="700px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> --- class: inverse, center, middle # Purpose --- # Purpose ### The purpose of this study is to explore: -- * what supports for professional learning ECEs seek during induction, if any; -- * from whom; and -- * how, if at all, they use social media with the intention of seeking supports and connections. <img src="img/purpose.jpg" width="420px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> --- class: inverse, center, middle # Framework --- # Professional Learning Networks <img src="img/network.jpg" width="600x" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * Local + global -- * Formal + informal --- # Professional Learning Networks <img src="img/network.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * Interpersonal connections -- * Supports for professional learning -- * Underlying reasons why --- class: inverse, center, middle # Review of Literature --- # Teacher Induction <img src="img/workshop.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- 1. Primarily formal induction programs -- 1. Induction challenges: everything new, still learning, identity development -- 1. Primarily local relationships --- # Educators’ Use of Social Media <img src="img/social-media.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- 1. Primarily informal learning opportunities -- 1. General difficulty of teaching: tiring, specific ideas, impress colleagues, isolation -- 1. Primarily global relationships --- class: inverse, center, middle # Purpose --- # Purpose ### Again, the purpose of this study is to explore: -- * what supports for professional learning ECEs seek during induction, if any; -- * from whom; and -- * how, if at all, they use social media with the intention of seeking supports and connections. <img src="img/purpose.jpg" width="420px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> --- # Research Questions <img src="img/question.jpg" width="360" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * RQ1. What **supports for professional learning**, if any, are ECEs seeking during induction? -- * RQ2. What **reasons**, if any, do ECEs report for seeking induction supports, and what reasons do they give, if any, for not seeking induction supports? -- * RQ3. What **interpersonal connections** do ECEs make when seeking supports for professional learning during induction? -- * RQ4. How, if at all, do ECEs use **social media** as a modality to access supports for professional learning during induction? --- class: inverse, center, middle # Method --- # Overview of Methods ### Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods <img src="img/method-overview.png" width="720" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * *Stage 1*: Qualitative interviews to explore -- * *Stage 2*: Quantitative surveys to generalize -- * *Stage 3*: Interpretation --- # Stage 1: Qualitative Interviews <img src="img/interview.jpg" width="480" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * *Participants*: #MAET students, 0-3 years experience, in U.S. -- * *Pilot study*: publicity email, interview protocol -- * *Data collection*: semi-structured interviews to saturation -- * *Data analysis*: transcribe, thematic analysis, eclectic coding, IRR --- # Stage 2: Quantitative Surveys <img src="img/survey.jpg" width="480" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * *Participants*: far and wide, 0-3 years experience, in U.S. -- * *Pilot study*: construct survey instrument, test internal reliability -- * *Data collection*: ask colleagues to spread word, Twitter -- * *Data analysis*: descriptive statistics --- # Stage 3: Interpretation <img src="img/generalize.jpg" width="480" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * Not about comparing qualitative findings to quantitative -- * Discussing which qualitative findings seem to be generalizable --- class: inverse, center, middle # Anticipated Findings --- # Anticipated Findings ### RQ1. Induction Supports for Professional Learning <img src="img/help.jpg" width="420" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- I expect: * help with time management * help classroom management * help relating to students * content expertise (subject-matter questions) * felt need for emotional encouragement --- # Anticipated Findings ### RQ2. Reasons for Seeking Induction Supports (or Not) <img src="img/singleton.jpg" width="420" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- I expect: * frustration with district-mandated professional development sessions that are too general to be useful * seeking induction supports in response to a specific felt need * some *not* seeking induction supports --- # Anticipated Findings ### RQ3. Interpersonal Connections for Induction Supports <img src="img/community.jpg" width="420" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- I expect: * connect with a variety of individuals and groups in search of induction supports * individuals from preparation programs, school of employment, and social media * groups include formal cohorts, online learning communities (e.g., ISTE), informal affinity spaces --- # Anticipated Findings ### RQ4. Social Media as a Modality to Access Induction Supports <img src="img/social-media-phone.jpg" width="420" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- I expect: * both parallels and differences between social-media mediated supports and offline, face-to-face * cost-benefit analysis of whether social media are worth the time, distractions, etc. * which social media platforms ECEs use * participation inequality --- class: inverse, center, middle # Significance --- # Implications for Practice <img src="img/learning.jpg" width="420" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> -- * *for ECEs*: professional learning that has worked for peers -- * *for teacher educators*: what to recommend, what to avoid -- * *for policy*: help with teacher attrition and turnover, especially among ECEs -- * ultimately, this is about *sustaining* ECEs rather than just retaining them (Clandinin et al., 2015) --- # Implications for Research <img src="img/future-research.jpg" width="420" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> * *teacher induction research* rooted in theory (Ingersoll & Strong, 2011) and taking into account who ECEs are already talking to (e.g., through social media) -- * *social media research* attentive to the specific challenges and needs for ECEs -- * setting up directions for future research (e.g., data mining of digital traces) --- class: inverse, center, middle # Conclusion --- # Conclusion <img src="img/edu-verse.jpg" width="600px" style="display: block; margin: auto;" /> I will explore: * what supports for professional learning ECEs seek during induction, if any; * from whom; and * how, if at all, they use social media with the intention of seeking supports and connections. --- class: inverse, center, middle # Questions? --- # My Questions -- * Pilot + IRB: order of work? -- * Recruiting participants and achieving a suitable sample? -- * Pitfalls to avoid / best practices for sustaining work in a dissertation across the coming year+?