Integrating social media for teacher training: Learners’ acceptance to the new normal

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the learners’ receptiveness to the incorporation of social media into the conventional Open and distant learning delivery method. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the researcher has incorporated diverse online educational tools alongside Facebook Live as a crucial element to connect with training teachers. The experiment was carried out in two rounds using an online platform. Every phase consists of a 12-days online program. The inaugural workshop was concluded in November 2020, and the subsequent session was arranged in January 2021. A total of 13,200 learners have received training, and feedback was obtained from them after the workshops through the use of Google Forms. A total of ten thousand three hundred learners, which is the sum of 6073 and 4227, have submitted their feedback. After examining the feedback on several aspects, the researcher has determined that online teaching and learning have become the prevailing standard, and teacher trainees have embraced it with a good attitude. There is a growing need for online counselling and workshops, as well as increased opportunities for engagement with teachers. Conferencing platforms such as Google MEET and ZOOM can be seamlessly integrated with streaming services like Facebook Live to efficiently meet the requirements of a wide range of learners. Online technologies for teacher training programs are widely accepted. Online teaching-learning should be a fundamental element in all teacher training programs. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU’s) experiences indicate that practical components like as internships, school-based activities, and workshops can be effectively conducted online. The academic counselling components of traditional Open and Distance Learning (ODL) programs should also be implemented via online methods.