Measuring the perceived usefulness of social media professional learning networks to elevate agricultural development

Abstract

Elevating agricultural development requires attention to aspects beyond production such as education and professional development. Individual demands for professional development have influenced the augmentation of recreational social media platforms as vicarious and functioning professional networks as well. The study’s purpose was to understand agricultural education teachers' perceived usefulness of professional social media use to better prepare themselves for positively impacting agricultural development. A random sample of secondary agriculture teachers responded to a self-administered survey instrument. New teachers perceived social media to be useful and also reported a greater number of minutes of use per week for professional purposes; this trend declined with increased years of teaching. Behaviors which teachers reported, in combination with their perceived usefulness and reported use, suggested professional social media use is supportive of andragogical assumptions. The elements of teachers’ professional learning network activitiesinstrument could serve as a valuable tool in explaining the variance in teachers’ professional social media use. Data can be used to inform the development of online professional learning experiences and in preparation of new professionals. Future research should explore the extent to which learning networks prepare agricultural preservice teachers and offer professional learning for practicing teachers to improve online and social media communications for all learners.