Inquiring tweets want to know: #Edchat supports for #RemoteTeaching during COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Education
• Sociology
• Communication Studies

Background:

• Social media use surged globally during the COVID-19 pandemic for information and support.
• Professional learning networks (PLNs) on social media have previously supported teachers' professional development.
• The rapid shift to emergency remote teaching created unprecedented challenges for educators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the types of support teachers sought on social media during the transition to emergency remote teaching.
• To understand how social media-supported teaching practices during the COVID-19 crisis.
• To provide insights into PLN theory and teacher social media utilization during disruptive events.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative analysis of over 500,000 Twitter #Edchat posts.
• Qualitative content analysis of 1,054 teacher question tweets.
• Analysis of 4 teacher interviews.

Main Results:

• Teachers actively sought practical resources and emotional support via social media.
• Social media interactions informed instructional strategies for remote teaching.
• Specific needs included technical assistance, pedagogical advice, and community connection.

Conclusions:

• Social media served as a critical resource for teachers navigating emergency remote instruction.
• PLNs on social media are vital for teacher support, especially during crises.
• Findings highlight the importance of digital professional development and support networks for educators.