Abstract
AbstractThe paper presents a systematic literature review of empirical studies on the use of Twitter by higher education academics for professional development. Using content and thematic analyses, this review addressed four research questions related to study characteristics, theoretical and methodological approaches, and the type of professional development activities engaged. The results show that Twitter has been studied from several perspectives using various methodological approaches. The review revealed several limitations, including the paucity of research addressing gender, cultural and geographic differences. Limited use of theory is also observed. Five themes emerged identifying the ways Twitter was used for professional development: 1) academic backchannel, 2) networking, 3) information and resource sharing, 4) keeping updated, 5) public engagement and social commentary. Overall, the literature review suggests Twitter supports some aspects of professional development. However, several issues remain outstanding and in need of further research, including ethical approaches and practices of researchers related to data collection and use.
Highlights
Higher education institutions and their academics face newer challenges and opportunities in the current academic climate (Austin & Sorcinelli, 2013) because of the multifaceted nature of higher education (Frick& Kapp, 2009)
The purpose of this paper is to present a review of published empirical studies on the use of Twitter by higher education academics in the context of professional development
The review suggests that Twitter has been studied across several disciplines using various methodological and theoretical approaches and that academics have used Twitter in several ways to support professional development
Summary
Higher education institutions and their academics face newer challenges and opportunities in the current academic climate (Austin & Sorcinelli, 2013) because of the multifaceted nature of higher education (Frick& Kapp, 2009). Professional development, sometimes referred to as academic professional development (APD) (Frick & Kapp, 2009), faculty development, academic development, educator/educational development (Bali & Caines, 2018) or professional learning (Oddone, 2019) is concerned with developmental activities aimed at improving practice (Cervero, 2000). These practices include updating skills and knowledge, preparation for new roles in organisations, and general competence development in the wider academic context (Challis, 1999), and collaboration (Shagrir, 2017). Though professional development is important for career satisfaction (Heffernan & Heffernan, 2019), it is often not adequately provided (Summers, 2017) or provided effectively (Odalen, Brommesson, Erlingsson & Fogelgren, 2018)
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