Education is a stressful profession and educators need social support. Although some employers provide support for their staff, not all educators have access to this and therefore turn to their own personal learning networks for support. There is a positive relationship between support gained in online settings and wellbeing, however more research is needed to explore the relationship between social network sites and social support, particularly when experienced in a private setting.
My research is a qualitative inquiry that explores how educators experience social support and the impact on wellbeing when interacting in private or closed social network site (SNS) channels. This is a space where participants engage with each other using the functionality of the SNS but where access is restricted in some way through either membership or invitation. Examples of this could include a Direct Message Group, Facebook Group, WhatsApp Group or Slack Channel etc.
Ethical approval for my research was granted by Lancaster University in May 2022 Deb Baff
Research Questions
How do the lived experiences of HE Educators relate to online social support, mediated by private SNS channels and what does this mean for their wellbeing ?
online social support
How are the experiences of HE educators related to online social support ?
Private SNS Channels
How is online social support mediated by private SNS channels?
wellbeing
How is online social support in private SNS channels related to educator wellbeing ?
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