Investigating social media potential for teacher learning in Aceh, Indonesia

Abstract

This study was designed to provide an initial descriptive analysis to investigate the potential of social media to support teacher professional learning for local content studies in Aceh, Indonesia. This paper explores the data that was collected from 381 primary school teachers from both urban and rural teaching locations. This data provides a means to explore the teachers' experiences, preferences and views on support for their learning and use of social media technology. Davis' technology acceptance model was consulted in initial development of constructs along with consequent research discussions on technology acceptance which emphasised the need to gather data relating to the community being studied. Thus the survey and focus group discussion questions were developed to provide knowledge about teachers' experiences and perceptions. In this mixed method research, teacher responses were analysed through the constructs of current practice, social media readiness, and support preferences. The results show that social media has the potential to support teachers in undertaking professional learning for local content studies. These results promote that harnessing social media to the traditional culture value of `goyong royong' (loosely translated as cooperation and mentoring values), will facilitate teachers' abilities to professionally interact, collaborate and learn with one another and other stakeholders. However this potential must be activated. Doing so could assist in people-centred support for teachers' learning and the teaching of local content.