Context Responsive Leadership to Explain X/Twitter for Professional Development Scale Scores

Abstract

X/Twitter appears to be the preferred social media platform among principals for delivering professional development and learning (PDL) to teachers to reduce the financial and time constraints most often associated with traditional types of PDL. The specific school contexts to create conditions for principals to use X/Twitter to deliver PDL remains unknown. The intent of this study was to develop a profile of principals who use X/Twitter for PDL through the lens of context responsive leadership theory. X/Twitter for Professional Development Scale scores among principals with less than two years of experience differed from principals with 10 or more years of experience, but the effect size of this difference offered little potential practical benefit. The results did not contribute to developing a profile of principals who used X/Twitter in varying school contexts. Future research exploring principals’ use of X/Twitter for PDL, or a different social media and networking platform as the preferred tool, will contribute to developing a profile of principals who embrace these technologies for this important school leadership function.