In today's society, where digital technology is becoming ever more present and indispensable, the role of the teacher is constantly evolving and adapting to the new opportunities and challenges brought about by digitalisation. Social media have become an important part of modern life and are increasingly integrated into the educational process. However, this raises a number of questions and dilemmas and the impact of social media on teacher's professional development and digital footprint.
In the theoretical part of the master's thesis we defined the concepts of the role of the teacher, teacher's professional development, social media, digital literacy, digital footprint and teacher competences. We have brought all these together in a chapter on teachers and their use of social media in education.
In the empirical part, a quantitative survey was conducted with teachers from primary schools across Slovenia and students from the Faculty of Education. Their attitudes towards the use of social media were explored in relation to different stages of their professional development. We also explored which media they use and for what purposes, whether they see advantages in using them and what challenges they perceive. An important part of the survey was the self-assessment of their digital literacy and how they have acquired digital competences.
The survey conducted showed that students are more inclined to use social media in education compared to teachers. Students see more advantages in using them, mainly due to their young age and more frequent use of digital technologies. Teachers, on the other hand, express more concerns about the negative consequences of using social media, such as misuse of information, accessibility of inappropriate content and disruption of the learning process. The findings also showed that teachers and students differ in their attitudes towards the use of social networking sites, with students more likely to value potential benefits such as increased accessibility to resources and improved communication. Teachers, on the other hand, are more reticent, which may be related to their experience and possible lack of digital literacy. We believe it is important to further educate and train teachers in the use of digital tools and to raise awareness of the benefits and pitfalls of social media. In this way, we can reduce the digital divide between teachers and students and ensure that digital technologies are effectively integrated into the educational process.
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