Examining the Feasibility of Incorporating Social Media Platforms into
Professional Training Programs
Malak Alharbi
1,2 a
, Jennifer Warrender
1
and Marie Devlin
1
1
School of Computing, Newcastle University, U.K.
2
College of Computer Science and Engineering, Jeddah University, Saudi Arabia
Keywords:
Social Media Application, Pre-Service Teaching and Learning, Professional Training.
Abstract:
The efficacy of incorporating social media platforms into professional training programs remains uncertain and
ambiguous. To optimize the effectiveness of utilizing social media platforms in such programs, it is imperative
to comprehend the requirements and influences of instructors and organizations, as well as the preferences and
needs of the target audience. This necessitates finding a harmonious balance between leveraging the interac-
tive features of social media and effectively mitigating potential challenges. That is why this research adopts a
qualitative case study approach in order to examine the feasibility of incorporating social media platforms into
professional training programs. The study involved pre-service instructors from three universities in Saudi
Arabia which pursued their studies at the faculty of Computer Sciences and engaged in training courses. The
findings of the study indicate that, Twitter emerges as the predominant social media application employed
for educational and learning endeavours on a daily basis. The level of belief in the efficacy of social media
applications as effective learning environments is substantial. Despite the considerable difficulties individ-
uals encounter in communicating with their peers and professionals during training courses, the individuals
involved persist in their efforts. The influence of social media applications on the sharing of learning content
with colleagues is significant, indicating a substantial impact. In addition, the utilization of social media ap-
plications and the act of sharing content with colleagues have a significant impact on the learning process of
pre-service teachers.
1 INTRODUCTION
In contemporary society, social media technologies
have emerged as the prevailing means of information
dissemination and interpersonal communication. In
his work, Selwyn (2012b) employed the term ”social
media ”to denote digital platforms, both online and
mobile, that facilitate communication, sharing, col-
laboration, publication, and interaction among users.
According to a study conducted by Madden et al.
(2013) and published in the Pew Research Centre Sur-
vey, it was found that 73% of Internet users actively
participate in activities such as sharing ideas, generat-
ing audio and video content, and exchanging content
with one another. Within the realm of education, so-
cial media applications are regarded as the most effec-
tive platform for fostering collaboration between ed-
ucators and students (Alshehri and Lally, 2019). This
is attributed to the inherent features of these applica-
a
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7912-3073
tions, which have the potential to enhance the learning
experience (Junco et al., 2011). According to Green-
how and Lewin (2016), educators can utilize social
media applications as a means to instruct and educate
students, given that students have integrated these ap-
plications into their daily routines for peer commu-
nication. According to the study conducted by Aly-
oussef et al. (2019), the utilization of social media
platforms has the potential to positively enhance the
process of teaching and learning. This is primarily at-
tributed to its ability to potentially enhance academic
achievement and foster increased engagement among
students. Furthermore, educators have the ability to
utilize social media platforms as a means of establish-
ing adaptable educational settings (Saini and Abra-
ham, 2019). The incorporation of social media into
a well-organized and inclusive learning management
system (LMS) can facilitate a harmonious integra-
tion of the advantages offered by social media plat-
forms and the regulated learning atmosphere essen-
tial for professional training initiatives. According
464
Alharbi, M., Warrender, J. and Devlin, M.
Examining the Feasibility of Incorporating Social Media Platforms into Professional Training Programs.
DOI: 10.5220/0012234100003584
In Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies (WEBIST 2023), pages 464-471
ISBN: 978-989-758-672-9; ISSN: 2184-3252
Copyright © 2023 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
to Saini and Abraham (2019), the utilization of so-
cial media technologies has the potential to improve
the teaching and learning process, thereby aiding the
career advancement of current teachers and equip-
ping prospective teachers with the necessary skills
for professional training. Hence, the enhancement
of professional learning for pre-service teachers can
be achieved through the integration of social media
platforms within their professional training programs,
thereby facilitating the establishment of online com-
munities for knowledge-sharing (Donelan, 2016; Vie,
2017; Saini and Abraham, 2019; Dragseth, 2020).
Investigating the concerns surrounding the effec-
tiveness of social media platforms in professional
training programs can yield significant insights into
the obstacles and apprehensions that organizations
and instructors may encounter when employing these
platforms for training endeavours (Purwanto et al.,
2023). Regrettably, without identifying and analyzing
the areas that are confronted with challenges, compre-
hending the underlying issue and effectively address-
ing the research problem will prove to be challeng-
ing. Through conducting extensive research in these
specific areas, individuals can acquire a comprehen-
sive understanding of the various issues pertaining
to the feasibility of incorporating social media plat-
forms into professional training programs. This will
enable them to make well-informed decisions regard-
ing the implementation of such platforms (Al-Qaysi
et al., 2023). Therefore, this study aims to employ
a ”Case Studies” methodology in order to examine
instances where organizations or institutions have in-
tegrated social media into their professional training
programs. We examine the individuals’ experiences,
achievements, and setbacks in order to acquire a more
profound comprehension of practical difficulties and
results.
2 RELATED WORK
Social media plays a pivotal role in fostering edu-
cational development. Social media applications fa-
cilitate the connection between faculty and students
within the educational sphere, regardless of geograph-
ical location or time constraints. This connection
serves the purpose of exchanging information and en-
gaging in collaborative projects.
According to Castro-Romero (2015), empirical
evidence suggests that the utilization of social media
platforms can augment students’ educational experi-
ences and foster their engagement with both peers and
instructors. Researchers view social media tools as
effective catalysts for advancing teaching and learn-
ing practices, particularly in terms of enhancing re-
ceptiveness and fostering sociability. Moreover, so-
cial media is commonly perceived as a platform for
individuals to disseminate, engage in discourse, and
exchange knowledge or concepts, thereby potentially
revolutionizing pedagogical approaches to foster a
more amicable, inclusive, and collaborative learning
environment. Previous research conducted by Sobaih
et al. (2016); Chugh and Ruhi (2018); Al-Maatouk
et al. (2020) has examined the utilization of social
media platforms as educational tools within higher
education institutions (HEIs). The researchers have
made a recommendation for academic and pre-service
teachers as well as students to incorporate the use of
social media platforms in order to enhance their edu-
cational objectives.
Nevertheless, the professional learning commu-
nity has encountered difficulties with regards to in-
person engagement, as well as challenges related
to time and location (Wang et al., 2017). Accord-
ing to Tsiotakis and Jimoyiannis (2016), the utiliza-
tion of social media technologies has the potential
to overcome geographical and temporal limitations,
thereby facilitating communication within an online
professional learning community platform. This fea-
ture facilitates the ability of trainees to engage in
asynchronous communication and exchange teaching
practices as necessary. Hence, it is evident that the uti-
lization of an online professional learning community
for teacher training has the potential to address the
challenges posed by geographical constraints and lim-
ited opportunities for collaboration, thereby enhanc-
ing professional development. Almuqrin and Mutam-
bik (2021) contend that a dearth of scholarly investi-
gations exists concerning the assessment of the effec-
tiveness of extant social media platforms in knowl-
edge formation and their contribution to the advance-
ment of professional development.
The objective of the current investigation is to as-
certain the extent to which pre-service educators uti-
lize social media platforms for educational purposes
during summer training, with the aim of enhancing
the learning and instructional processes. Furthermore,
this research has the potential to make a valuable
contribution towards the integration and utilization of
these technologies in the context of professional de-
velopment.
For this reason, this research proposes a concep-
tual framework presented in Figure 1. The proposed
framework aims to establish relationships among
three key variables highlighted in the works of Car-
penter et al. (2023) and Ali and Qazi (2023). These
variables include ”Social Media Applications”, ”Pre-
service Teachers Training” and ”Sharing Educational
Examining the Feasibility of Incorporating Social Media Platforms into Professional Training Programs
465
Content”. These variables are conceptualized for the
purpose of establishing the following relationships:
The relationship between the perception of social
media applications as effective learning environments
and the act of sharing content with colleagues via
these platforms.
The relationship between social media applications
as an effective learning environment and the enhance-
ment of learning among pre-service teachers.
The relationship between the utilization of social
media applications for sharing educational content
among pre-service teachers and the enhancement of
their learning.
As a result, three main hypotheses are formulated
as follows:
H1: Social Media Application as a good learning
environment influence sharing learning content with
colleagues.
H2: Social Media Application as a good learning en-
vironment influence Pre-Service Teachers’ learning.
H3: Sharing learning content with colleagues on
Social Media Application as a good learning environ-
ment influence Pre-Service Teachers learning.
Figure 1: The proposed conceptual framework.
3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research methodology employed in this study en-
compasses the systematic approach to conduct a liter-
ature review, gather data, and analyse the collected
data. This study employs a qualitative case study
methodology to investigate the viability of integrat-
ing social media platforms into professional training
programs. The scope of this study encompasses all
universities that provide professional training and em-
ploy ”Social Media” as a means of instruction. The
term ”professional training programs” pertains to a
range of educational offerings, such as brief courses,
workshops, certifications, or other formats, which are
tailored to meet the specific requirements of the uni-
versity. The study included pre-service teachers at the
Computer Sciences departments of three universities
in Saudi Arabia who had participated in professional
training and completed training courses.
3.1 Data Collection
A structured questionnaire was designed as the pri-
mary instrument for data collection. The research
conducted in this study was granted approval by New-
castle University’s Research Ethics Committee, un-
der the reference number 20-ALH-045. This is the
junction at which the research leveraged the ”Quanti-
tative Case Study” approach, employing a structured
discussion framework encompassing open-ended and
closed-ended questions as data collection. The ques-
tions were formulated according to the studies con-
ducted by Sobaih et al. (2016) and Alshehri and
Lally (2019). The survey comprised two distinct
sections. The initial section comprised two demo-
graphic inquiries pertaining to the participant’s gen-
der and the name of their university. The second sec-
tion of the study consisted of six structured questions,
three questions for pre-service teachers concerning
their favourite of social media application for learn-
ing and teaching purposes, to what extent they be-
lieve that social media applications are good learn-
ing environments and forms of their usages. In ad-
dition, an open-ended question involved describing
the interface and features of social media applications
used by pre-service teachers to communicate with
their classmates and professors. Moreover, 2 ques-
tions measured on a Likert-item basis (ranging from
1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 = Strongly Agree, and 1
= Very Unhelpful to 5 = Very Helpful) were about
preservice teachers’ views on the use of social media
applications for improving the learning experiences
as well as their opinion about the usefulness of some
existing social media platforms they used to com-
municate with peers and professionals. Participants
provided their responses to the questionnaire through
the Survey Monkey platform (SurveyMonkey, 2021),
accompanied by an electronic consent form that re-
quired their signature. A comprehensive sample of 67
questionnaires was gathered for analysis. Statistical
analysis was performed using SPSS software (version
27) (Statistics, 2013).
4 ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
The present study utilizes a research analysis frame-
work that includes descriptive and inferential statis-
tics, as well as an examination of users’ perceptions.
Descriptive data were generated for all variables in
the study’s first section. In the subsequent section,
inferential data analysis was conducted, specifically
utilizing a Chi-Square Test of Independence to evalu-
ate the association between variables and determine if
WEBIST 2023 - 19th International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies
466
the study dimensions exhibited a normal relationship.
A p-value less than 0.05 was deemed statistically sig-
nificant.
4.1 Demographics Analysis
Table 1: Demographics analysis of pre-service teachers.
Demographics N %
Gender
Male
Female
25
42
37
63
University Name
Jeddah University
Others
56
11
84
16
Table 1 displays the distribution of participants ac-
cording to various demographic variables. Accord-
ing to the information in the table, it was discovered
that most of the responses were from Jeddah Univer-
sity, which suggests that the study outcomes will be
of substantial interest to Jeddah University. When this
implementation has been completed, it will be avail-
able for later replication by other institutions.
4.2 Hypothesis Testing
The study’s findings offer a crucial viewpoint on the
utilization of social media in the field of education
as a whole, and more specifically in relation to pro-
fessional training. The conclusion derived from the
empirical testing of the hypothesis represents the out-
come of the investigative process. The findings in-
dicate that Twitter is the most commonly utilized so-
cial media platform for educational and learning pur-
poses on a daily basis, followed by Instagram, Tele-
gram, YouTube, and WhatsApp, in sequential order.
It is imperative to bear in mind that the positive rating
serves solely a descriptive function (Pimentel, 2010).
Moreover, this implies that the use of social media
applications has the potential to augment educational
prospects. The results also indicate that individu-
als predominantly employ social media platforms for
educational and learning objectives, particularly for
tasks and activities related to information retrieval,
followed by browsing to acquire knowledge. This
feature has the potential to enhance communication
among peers and professionals, as evidenced by the
following response: ”I use WhatsApp and Twitter to
share content and information, [which] makes it easy
to connect with people at any time”. An additional
attribute that could enhance communication is a user-
friendly interface, thereby improving usability.
4.2.1 Sharing Learning Content
The first hypothesis was conceived with the intention
of investigating the impact that various social media
applications have on the rate at which educational ma-
terial is shared among co-workers. The findings of the
experiment that tested the hypothesis indicate that the
Chi-square test demonstrates a statistically significant
correlation between the perception of social media ap-
plications as effective learning environments and the
act of sharing content with colleagues through these
applications, as shown in Figure 2. The Chi-Square
test yielded a P-value of 0.006, which is significantly
lower than the threshold for statistical significance,
which was established to be 0.05. As a result, hy-
pothesis 1 is accepted.
Figure 2: The frequency of sharing content with colleagues
through social media applications.
According to the findings, more than half of the
participants (51.2%) who engage in content sharing
with co-workers via social media platforms expressed
agreement with the idea that these platforms offer a
suitable atmosphere for learning. On the other hand,
48.8% of participants who engage in material sharing
with colleagues through social media platforms main-
tained a neutral view regarding the establishment of a
constructive learning community through these plat-
forms. This suggests that people who participate in
higher levels of content sharing on social media plat-
forms are more likely to regard social media as an en-
vironment that is conducive to educational goals (see
Figure 2).
4.2.2 Pre-Service Teachers’ Learning
The second hypothesis was conceived with the inten-
tion of conducting research into the ways in which
pre-service teachers can benefit from using social me-
dia applications to improve their own learning. The
results of the testing of the hypothesis indicate that
there is a statistically significant correlation, as estab-
lished by the Chi-square test, between the perception
of social media applications as a suitable learning en-
vironment and their potential to promote the learning
Examining the Feasibility of Incorporating Social Media Platforms into Professional Training Programs
467
of pre-service teachers. The Chi-Square test produced
a P-value of 0.004, which is significantly lower than
the threshold of 0.05 significance that was set before-
hand. As a result, hypothesis 2 is accepted.
Figure 3: The frequency of Social media applications as
a good learning environment on the improvement of pre-
service teachers’ learning.
According to the findings, a sizeable majority
(69.9%) of participants who strongly agreed with the
concept that social media applications have the ability
to enhance their learning also held the belief that these
applications can create an environment that is con-
ducive to learning. This finding is supported by the
fact that participants expressed strong agreement with
the proposition that social media applications have the
potential to enhance their learning. Approximately
62.5% of the respondents who agreed with the state-
ment that social media applications could improve
their learning experience had a stance that was neutral
towards the question of whether or not these applica-
tions can actually provide a learning environment that
is favourable to learning. This suggests that those pre-
service teachers who had a favourable impression of
social media as an educationally conducive platform
were more likely to believe that it may improve their
own learning experiences (see Figure 3).
4.2.3 Social Media Applications
In testing hypothesis 3, it was framed to investigate
the impact of sharing content with colleagues and the
improvement of pre-service teachers’ learning. The
results obtained from the hypothesis testing indicate
that there is a statistically significant association be-
tween pre-service teachers’ utilization of social me-
dia applications to share content with colleagues and
the potential enhancement of their learning experi-
ence. The p-value obtained from the Chi-Square test
is 0.039, which is less than the conventional signifi-
cance level of 0.05.
The data indicates that a majority of participants
(53.7%) who shared content with their colleagues
through online platforms agreed that social media ap-
plications have a positive impact on the learning of
pre-service teachers (see Figure 4). Additionally, a
Figure 4: The frequency of the sharing content with col-
leagues through social media applications and improving
pre-service teachers’ learning.
significant proportion (39%) of participants strongly
agreed that online platforms contribute to the im-
provement of pre-service teachers’ learning. The
findings indicate that there is a positive correlation be-
tween the extent to which pre-service teachers engage
in content sharing on social media platforms and their
perception of the educational benefits derived from
such platforms.
5 DISCUSSION
Social media platforms have been identified as vir-
tual interactive communities that possess the potential
to serve as valuable learning tools within higher edu-
cation institutions, with a particular focus on profes-
sional development (Sobaih et al., 2016). The present
study aimed to examine the utilization of social media
applications among pre-service teachers in the con-
text of higher education, specifically focusing on their
application for learning and teaching purposes. The
findings of this survey indicate that Twitter was the
predominant social media platform employed by pre-
service teachers for educational purposes. Research
conducted by Sobaih, Alwagait, and O’Keeffe has
highlighted the educational and instructional benefits
of Twitter as a valuable learning tool (Alwagait et al.,
2015; Sobaih et al., 2016; O’Keeffe, 2019). This phe-
nomenon occurs due to its ability to foster active par-
ticipation within a digital community of individuals
who share a common professional interest, thereby
offering valuable insights and knowledge exchange
opportunities to improve their respective competen-
cies (Benko et al., 2016). Therefore, it is regarded
as an interactive community that facilitates the ex-
change of knowledge within an educational setting.
The present study reveals an intriguing finding: pre-
service teachers expressed consensus regarding the
efficacy of social media platforms as conducive envi-
ronments for both learning and teaching. This result
is consistent with studies conducted by Alshehri and
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468
Lally (2019). Contrary to the belief that social media
is a disruptive technology (Selwyn, 2012a).
Furthermore, the findings of this study suggest
that pre-service teachers expressed favorable attitudes
towards the utilization of social media platforms as
a means of enhancing teacher training and facilitat-
ing an enhanced learning experience. Prior studies
have demonstrated that the utilization of social media
platforms for educational purposes can contribute to
the enhancement of learning outcomes for pre-service
teachers and the improvement of teaching practices
among educators in higher education (Sobaih et al.,
2016; Basu, 2017; Al-Maatouk et al., 2020; Chugh
et al., 2021). Moreover, the findings from the survey
conducted among pre-service teachers revealed the
efficacy of current social media platforms employed
for peer and professional communication within the
training program. Hence, it is imperative for individ-
uals to utilize social media platforms as a means to
disseminate knowledge and engage in communication
with both peers and professionals, thereby surmount-
ing the temporal and spatial constraints encountered
during their training. The findings of this study align
with prior research that has demonstrated the predom-
inant adoption of social media as a communication
tool for socializing purposes (Datu et al., 2012; Alab-
dulkareem, 2015; Komaki and Igawa, 2017; Ogbon-
naya, 2019).
The results indicate that pre-service teachers uti-
lize social media platforms for various educational
purposes, including information retrieval, knowledge
acquisition, and knowledge sharing. This facilitates
their ability to collaborate and actively participate
with their peers, resulting in a beneficial influence
on their academic accomplishments (Chugh and Ruhi,
2018; Alshehri and Lally, 2019; Saini and Abraham,
2019). Furthermore, the present study revealed a sta-
tistically significant correlation between the act of
sharing educational content with colleagues via so-
cial media applications and the enhancement of learn-
ing outcomes among pre-service teachers. The find-
ings indicated that a significant proportion of respon-
dents concurred that the utilization of social media
platforms for the purpose of disseminating content
or knowledge had the potential to enhance the edu-
cational encounters of pre-service educators. A com-
parison of the findings with those of other studies con-
firms that using social media for learning purposes
and interaction with peers and teachers positively af-
fects their academic performance (Ansari and Khan,
2020). This implies that the act of exchanging ideas
and information has the potential to facilitate rapid
and effortless acquisition of knowledge, thereby en-
hancing the process of learning. Furthermore, inte-
gration these technologies would lead to transforma-
tive and significant modifications in the realm of col-
laborative learning within higher education, specifi-
cally in the context of professional training. The study
revealed a statistically significant correlation between
the perception of social media applications as effec-
tive learning environments and their actual impact on
learning outcomes.
To enhance the educational experiences of pre-
service teachers, it is imperative for pre-service
teacher training programs to incorporate these tech-
nologies within their curriculum in order to enhance
instructional practices. Collaborative learning is a
recognized educational approach that encompasses
the acquisition of knowledge through active partici-
pation in diverse activities within our everyday lives
(Ansari and Khan, 2020). Furthermore, it can be
argued that these educators commence instruction
in computer science at an earlier stage, which con-
sequently renders them more inclined to embrace
technological means for interpersonal communication
with their peers. According to Castro-Romero (2015),
the utilization of social media platforms has the po-
tential to augment students’ educational experiences
and foster their engagement with both peers and in-
structors. This is achieved through the facilitation
of shared content, discussions, and communication
within virtual learning communities.
The findings of the study indicate a significant cor-
relation between the utilization of social media plat-
forms for the purpose of sharing content among col-
leagues and the establishment of a conducive learn-
ing environment. Nevertheless, it is imperative to ac-
knowledge certain factors that may exert an influence
on the efficacy of these technologies. These factors,
including ease of utilization, utility, and motivation,
warrant careful consideration (Saini and Abraham,
2019). This study examines the perspectives of pre-
service teachers regarding the utilization of social me-
dia applications during summer training in Saudi uni-
versities, specifically within the faculties of computer
science, with the aim of enhancing teaching and learn-
ing practices. Consequently, there is a growing impe-
tus to promote the incorporation of these technolo-
gies into professional development programs, with
the aim of enhancing the competencies of both pre-
service and in-service educators. The research find-
ings present a persuasive case for the incorporation of
social media within the educational setting to enhance
teaching and learning. The application of social me-
dia and its diverse elements offers new prospects for
promoting sustainable professional development and
lifelong learning. Within this particular context, in-
dividuals have the opportunity to access support and
Examining the Feasibility of Incorporating Social Media Platforms into Professional Training Programs
469
guidance by engaging with virtual communities that
are specifically focused on educational endeavours.
In general, the findings of this survey suggest that
pre-service educators concur that utilizing social me-
dia platforms to exchange information with their col-
leagues would enhance their educational journey, as
supported by the statistical correlation. Moreover, the
authors posit that social media applications can serve
as a robust educational platform for enhancing the
learning experiences of pre-service teachers, as sup-
ported by the statistical correlation. Integrating these
technologies with enhancing professional skills can
facilitate the resolution of obstacles related to tempo-
ral and spatial constraints. Therefore, it is accessible
at any given time and location.
The development of professional development
programs for pre-service teachers in the School of
Computing is a crucial undertaking, as highlighted by
Qian et al. (2018). This need is particularly evident in
the context of Saudi Arabia, as noted by Amasha and
Alkhalaf (2016) and Almuqrin and Mutambik (2021).
It is advisable to conduct further research in order to
gather additional data from a broader sample of stu-
dents across multiple institutions, thereby enhancing
the robustness and applicability of the findings. It is
not advisable to extrapolate these findings to dissimi-
lar contexts.
6 CONCLUSIONS
This study investigates the usage of social media plat-
forms by pre-service teachers within the framework
of learning and teaching. The objective of this study
was to enhance comprehension regarding the prospec-
tive application of social media platforms as educa-
tional instruments. It is imperative to approach the
interpretation of the study’s findings with meticulous
attention to specific limitations. Regarding the matter
of sample representation, it is crucial to acknowledge
that the sample utilized in this study consists solely
of pre-service instructors hailing from three universi-
ties situated in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it is crucial
to recognize that the perceptions and experiences of
the pre-service teachers involved in this research may
differ from those of pre-service teachers originating
from diverse geographical locations and nations. It is
imperative to take into account the variations in edu-
cational systems and professional training across dif-
ferent countries. In relation to prospective endeav-
ours, these discoveries could serve as a catalyst for
exploring professional development within the realm
of higher education, particularly within the School of
Computing. This could involve establishing an online
platform to facilitate the exchange of teaching experi-
ences among novice and seasoned academics.
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Examining the Feasibility of Incorporating Social Media Platforms into Professional Training Programs
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