Lurking with intent: Teacher purposeful learning using facebook

Abstract

Teachers commonly lurk in online spaces used for professional learning. While ubiquitous social media spaces present opportunities for easily accessible, informal teacher learning engagement, questions persist around the learning experienced by lurking users. A small-scale, qualitative study investigating use of Facebook by Australian teachers of English for professional learning, revealed knowledge about teacher agentic learning action and experiences using this platform. New understandings emerged from this study about teachers innovatively using lurking for managing perceived vulnerabilities in daily Facebook interactions, enabling personally and professionally low-cost learning experiences. The study findings warrant reconsideration of acceptable professional learning participation for contemporary teachers.