Facebook Group as an Informal Professional Development Tool: Perception of School Library Professionals

Year 2018, Volume: 32 Issue: 2, 126 - 143, 01.04.2018

Zakir Hossain Atakan Aydın

Abstract

Facebookoffersthe ability to its users tocreate agroup on a specific subject or interest and ask friendsand acquaintances to joinand shareinformation,which is entirelydrivenbythem.Thepurpose ofthe studywas toexplore and understand schoollibrarians'participationin social networkparticularly Facebook group; towhat extent Facebookgroupbecomesacatalystforadvancingtheir professionalknowledge,and whether and howFacebookgroupaddsvaluetothe complex process of school librarians' professionaldevelopment. The successive objectives weretounderstandthecurrent and future professionallearning trendsinschool librarianshipanalyzinggroupposts.An online questionnaire was postedto selected Facebookgroupsandsent totwo 2 schoollibrarians' listservs, and 404usableresponses werereceived.Studyfindings indicatethat with theFacebookgroup, SchoolLibraryProfessionals SLPs areable to stay informed withnewknowledge in theirfieldby exchanginginformation,opportunitiesandideas.The findingsalso confirmthat moreand moreSLPsareusing, or at the veryleast, experiencing groupsasan informal ProfessionalDevelopment Tool PDT . Study data shows that78.4 percentof SLPsdesireto seeposts relatedto ‘teachingresources' and 63.8 percent‘howto usetechnology'onFacebookgroup which indicate thecurrentprofessionallearning trendsofSLPs.Researchskills tips 67.9% ,makerspaceideas 57% andhowto collaboratewith classroomteachers 51.6% arealsofoundto bethetop future professional learning aspirationsofSLPs.This paper provides valid empiricalevidenceand highlights thatmanySLPs are using Facebook groups and38.4 percent regardedit as a‘very useful tool' for professionaldevelopment. Thediscussionsthat take placeonFacebook groupsempowerandenhancelibrarians'professionalpracticeand networking

Keywords

School librarian, Facebookgroups, socialmedia, professional development, Librarianship

Mesleki Gelişim Aracı Olarak Facebook Grupları: Okul Kütüphanecilerinin Bakışı

Abstract

Facebook, kullanıcılarına belirli bir konu alanında ya da ilgi alanları doğrultusunda grup oluşturma, tamamen kendi inisiyatiflerine bağlı olarak herhangi bir gruba katılma ve grup içinde bilgi paylaşımı olanağı sunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, okul kütüphanecilerinin sosyal ağlara, özellikle Facebook gruplarına katılımı; Facebook’un okul kütüphanecilerinin mesleki gelişimine katkısı ve okul kütüphanecilerinin Facebook gruplarına mesleki gelişim bağlamında bakışı araştırılmıştır. Bu çalışmada ayrıca Facebook grup gönderileri, okul kütüphaneciliği alanındaki mevcut ve gelecekteki mesleki gelişim trendlerini ortaya koymak amacıyla analiz edilmiştir. Seçilen Facebook gruplarına ve okul kütüphanecilerinden oluşan iki tartışma listesine çevrimiçi bir anket gönderilmiştir. Anketi 404 kişi yanıtlamıştır. Araştırma bulguları, okul kütüphanecilerinin Facebook grupları kanalıyla birbirleriyle bilgi alışverişi ve fikir paylaşımında bulunduklarını göstermiştir. Bulgular ayrıca, giderek daha fazla okul kütüphanecisinin gayri resmi bir şekilde mesleki gelişim aracı olarak Facebook gruplarını kullandığını veya en azından deneyimlediğini doğrulamıştır. Araştırma verileri, okul kütüphanecilerinin %78,4’ünün eğitim/öğretim kaynaklarına teaching resources ve %63,8’inin teknolojiyi kullanımına ilişkin gönderilere ilgi duyduklarını göstermiştir. Okul kütüphanecilerinin gelecekteki en önemli mesleki öğrenme hedefleri arasında, araştırma becerileri %67,9 , yaratım atölyeleri %57 ve sınıf öğretmenleriyle iş birliği %51,6 konuları bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, birçok okul kütüphanecisinin Facebook gruplarını kullandığını ve %38,4’ünün bu grupları mesleki gelişim için “çok yararlı bir araç” olarak gördüğünü ampirik kanıtlarla ortaya koymaktadır. Facebook gruplarındaki tartışmalar, kütüphanecilerin mesleki uygulamalarını ve aralarındaki iletişimi güçlendirmekte ve geliştirmektedir.

Keywords

Okul kütüphanecisi, Facebook grupları, sosyal medya, mesleki gelişim, kütüphanecilik.

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