Collaborating on Facebook: Teachers Exchanging Experiences Through Social Networking Sites

This study explores the use of Facebook for educational purposes, as a collaborative online space for enabling communication among teachers from different schools. The article describes how a group of 43 teachers on Facebook, from various schools in the southeast region of Brazil used a group on Facebook as a collaborative space for communicating among each other. On the group, these teachers shared experiences about the use of digital technologies in their secondary education classes. This study is based on Cultural Historical Activity Theory, considering the group on Facebook as a tool for mediating communication . The objective of this study is to explore why and how teachers collaborated with each other on Facebook, and to study how communication among them evolved in the process. We examined the posts on that group from 2012 to 2014, and two questionnaires responded online by the teachers in June 2012 and in December 2013. Our findings suggest that teachers tend to critically collaborate in smaller groups and that further online communication evolved outside the group of teachers, with the creation of smaller groups on Facebook inside their schools.

1. Austin R., Smyth J., Rickard A., Quirk-Bolt N., and Metcalfe N. Collaborative Digital Learning in Schools: Teach- er Perceptions of Purpose and Effectiveness. Technology, Peda- gogy and Education, 2010. Vol. 19, pp. 327—343.
2. Baskerville D. Integrating On-Line Technology into Teaching Activities to Enhance Student and Teacher Learning in a New Zealand Primary School. Technology, Pedagogy and Education., 2012. Vol 21, pp.119—135.
3. Bentley T. Innovation and Diffusion as a Theory of Change. In Hargreaves A. (eds.) Second International Hand- book of Educational Change. Springer, 2009, pp. 29—46.
4. Brasil M. Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais [National Curricular Guidelines]. Brasília: Ministério da Educação e Cultura, 2000. 109 p.
5. Bronckart J.-P. Atividade de linguagem, textos e dis- cursos [Language activity, texts and discourses], 2ª ed. São Paulo: Educ, 1999. 358 p.
6. Cayton—Hodges G., Feng G., and Pan X. Tablet-Based Math Assessment: What Can We Learn from Math Apps? Ed- ucational Technology & Society, 2015. Vol. 18, pp. 3—20.
7. Charlton P., Magoulas G., and Laurillard D. Enabling Creative Learning Design through Semantic Technologies. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2012. Vol. 21, pp. 231—253.
8. Cunha Jr.F.R, van Oers B., and van Kruistum C. Teach- ers and Facebook: Using Online Groups to Improve Students’ Communication and Engagement. Communication Teacher, 2016. Vol. 30.
9. Cunha Jr.F.R. Student training for promoting collab- orative agency: the monitoring activities. Ponte, 2016. Vol. 72, pp. 170—187.
10. Datnow A. and Park V. Large-Scale Reform in the Era of Accountability: The System Role in Supporting Data— Driven Decision Making. In Hargreaves A. (eds.) Second In- ternational Handbook of Educational Change. London & New York: Springer, 2009. Vol. 23, pp. 209—220.
11. Engeström Y. Activity theory and the social construc- tion of knowledge: a story of four umpires. San Diego: Univer- sity of California, 1999.
12. Engeström Y. Learning by expanding: an activity-the- oretical approach to developmental research, 2 ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015. 338 p.
13. Facebook. 45% da população brasileira acessa o Facebook mensalmente [45% of Brazilians access Face- book every month]. 2015. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/business/news/BR-45-da-populacao-brasileira-acessa-o-Facebook-pelo-menos-uma-vez-ao-mes     (Accessed 25.07.2016)
14. Fullan M. and Hargreaves A. A escola como organiza- ção aprendente. Buscando uma educação de qualidade [The school as a learning organization. Seeking a quality education], 2 ed. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2000. 402 p.
15. Goodband J.H., Solomon Y., Samuels P.C., Lawson D., and Bhakta R. Limits and potentials of social networking in academia: case study of the evolution of a mathematics Facebook community. Learning, Media and Technology, 2012. Vol. 37, pp. 236—252.
16. Gray K., Chang S., and Kennedy G. Use of Social Web Technologies by International and Domestic Undergraduate Students: Implications for Internationalising Learning and Teaching in Australian Universities. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2010. Vol. 19, pp. 31—46.
17. Heo G.M. and Lee R. Blogs and Social Network Sites as Activity Systems: Exploring Adult Informal Learning Process through Activity Theory Framework. Educational Technology & Society, 2013. Vol. 16, pp. 133—145.
18. Hewitt A. and Forte A. Crossing boundaries: Identity management and student/faculty relationships on the Face- book. Poster presented at CSCW, Banff, Alberta, 2006, pp. 1—2.
19. Hutchens J.S., Hayes T. In your facebook: examining Facebook usage as misbehavior on perceived teacher cred- ibility. Education and Information Technologies, 2014. Vol. 19, pp. 5—20.
20. John-Steiner V. Creative collaboration. New York: Ox- ford University Press, 2000. 288 p.
21. Junco R. iSpy: seeing what students really do online. Learning, Media and Technology, 2014. Vol. 39, pp. 75—89.
22. Kerbrat-Orecchioni C. Análise da conversação: princípios e métodos [Conversational analysis: principles and methods]: Parábola, 2006. 143 p.
23. Kimmons R. and Veletsianos G. The fragmented educa- tor 2.0: Social networking sites, acceptable identity fragments, and the identity constellation. Computers & Education, 2014. Vol. 72, pp. 292—301.
24. Leontiev A. N. Activity, consciousness and personality. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1978. 196 p.
25. Liberali F. C. Creative Chain in the Process of Becom- ing a Totality [A cadeia criativa no processo de tornar—se to- talidade]. Bakhtiniana, 2009. Vol. 1, pp. 100—124.
26. Magalhães M. C.C. Projetos de formação continua de educadores para uma prática crítica [Teacher education proj- ects towards a critical praxis]. The ESPecialist, 1998. Vol. 19, pp.169—184.
27. Magalhães M.C.C. Theoretical-Methodological Choices in AL Research: Critical Research of Collaboration in Teacher Education. Inter Fainc., 2011. Vol. 1, pp. 34—45.
28. Mazer J., Murphy R., and Simonds C. I’ll See You On Facebook: The Effects of Computer-Mediated Teacher Self- Disclosure on Student Motivation, Affective Learning, and Classroom Climate. Communication Education, 2007. Vol. 56, pp. 1—17.
29. Newman F. and Holzman L. Lev Vygotsky, um cien- tista revolucionário [Vygotsky, a revolutionary scientist]. São Paulo: Edições Loyola, 2004. 241 p.
30. Ninin M.O.G. Da pergunta como ato monológico avali- ativo à pergunta como espaço para expansão dialógica [From question as a monological evaluative act to question as a dia- logic expansion space], 1 ed. São Carlos: Pedro & João Edi- tores, 2013. 183 p.
31. Parrilla A. Os grupos de apoio entre professores no con- texto espanhol: origem, sentido e justificativa [Support groups among teachers in the Spanish context: origin, meaning and justification], In Daniels H. (ed.) Criação e desenvolvimento de grupos de apoio entre professores. São Paulo: Edições Loyola, 2004. 226 p.
32. Savvidou C. ‘Thanks for sharing your story’: the role of the teacher in facilitating social presence in online discussion. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 2013. Vol. 22, pp. 193— 211.
33. Senge P.M. Education for an Interdependent World. In Hargreaves A. (eds.) Second International Handbook of Educa- tional Change. London & New York: Springer, 2009. Vol. 23, pp. 131—151.
34. Shukor N., Tasir Z., van der Meijden H., and Harun J. Exploring Students’ Knowledge Construction Strategies in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Discussions Using Sequential Analysis. Educational Technology & Society, 2014. Vol. 17, pp.216—228.
35. Unesco. Teaching and learning: achieving quality for all. UNESCO, 2013. 481 p.
36. van Dijk J. The network society, 2 ed. London: SAGE Publications, 2006. 336 p.
37. van Oers B. Developmental Education: Reflections on a CHAT-Research Program in the Netherlands. Learning, Cul- ture and Social Interaction. 2012. Vol. 1, pp. 57—65.
38. Vygotsky L.S. The Collected Works of L.S. Vygotsky: Problems of General Psychology. New York and London: Ple- num Press, 1999. 396 p.
39. Vygotsky L.S. Thought and Language. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2012. 307 p.
40. Wang Q. and Lu Z. A Case Study of Using an Online Community of Practice for Teachers’ Professional Develop- ment at a Secondary School in China. Learning, Media and Technology, 2012. Vol 37, pp. 429—446.