ERIC Number: ED662726
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 213
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3844-6937-7
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
An Exploration of the Impact of Participating in a Facebook Group Community of Practice on the Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Middle School Teachers at a P-8 Catholic School: A Cross-Case Synthesis
Stephanie Margaret Gonzales Kirik
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Florida
Teachers who work at small schools often do not have colleagues at their workplace who teach the same content area and therefore cannot benefit from the professional growth that comes with having same-subject colleagues in one's workplace. The purpose of this study was to see if participating in a teacher Facebook group as a Virtual Community of Practice (VCoP) for a month would improve the teaching self-efficacy beliefs of three middle school teachers who teach in isolation at a Catholic P-8 school. Each middle school teacher joined a different active Facebook group pertaining to the teaching of their content area for a month. This is a case study with a cross-case synthesis. Data from pre-study and post-study self-efficacy surveys and interviews as well as a lesson plan template, teacher contribution sheet, and researcher journal were analyzed. The results of this study indicated that while the teachers who participated in the study did not feel that participating in the Facebook group improved their self-efficacy beliefs related to teaching their content area, they found great value in both the resources/lessons shared among members in their group as well as the support offered from member to member in the group. All three teachers planned to continue being a member of their respective Facebook group after the conclusion of the study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Social Media, Communities of Practice, Self Efficacy, Middle School Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Catholic Schools, Case Studies, Small Schools, Interprofessional Relationship
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A