“Yo Sir, That’s Creepy!” The Use of Social Media as a Pedagogical Tool in Toronto High School Classroom

Abstract

Despite the fact that some school boards have identified social media as a tool that holds significant pedagogical potential, everything from a fear of cyberbullying to technology limitations has often convinced teachers to avoid using the medium in their classroom. This qualitative research study conducted with semi-structured interviews, explored how Toronto high schools teachers, who have actively adopted social media as a pedagogical tool, are using it in their classrooms. The findings of this study were separated into four main themes: 1) Using social media in the classroom reportedly improved the student learning experience; 2) External factors are the biggest barrier to using social media; 3) Adopting social media impacts teacher’s work-life balance 4) Resource storage and site popularity dictate a teacher’s choice of social media platform. These findings suggest that in educational circles teachers may be ignored by policymakers and overworked during the school day while also suggesting that GTA students may lack the parental support necessary to complete their schoolwork.