Impact of Social Media on Instructional Practices for Kindergarten Teachers Proposal

Introduction

General Introduction to the Topic

Over the last decade, social media has gained tremendous popularity in many countries around the world. This has resulted in the increase of creative and productive ways to apply social media networks and resources in different areas of life, such as employment, housing, healthcare, and education (Alghamdi et al., 2022). The education is currently one of the most rapidly evolving areas in terms of social media integration, as teachers develop ways to apply it in the instructional practices for students of different ages.

General Context of the Problem

Despite the increase in the use of social media in teaching, there is still a significant lack of research done on the impact of social media integration in teaching techniques used in kindergarten classes. In particular, there is insufficient data on these applications used in Western Asian countries, namely Saudi Arabia. This topic is of general concern because it is important to improve teaching practices in Saudi Arabia to ensure that kindergarten students receive high quality education. The difficulties and ramifications that can be caused by the lack of knowledge on the impact of social media include a decline or stagnation in the level of kindergarten education in Saudi Arabia (Al-Hezam, 2017). The current qualitative research project is based on personal interest in the topic of effective kindergarten education in Saudi Arabia and the strategies to improve it.

Statement of the Research Problem

Qualitative research question: What impact does the use of social media have on kindergarten teachers’ instructional practices in Saudi Arabia?

Significance of the Problem

The purposed study will add to the scholarly research and literature in the field as it will address the specific ways social media technologies are integrated in kindergarten education. In addition, it will identify the impact that different types of media and social networks have on the educational performance of kindergarten students in Saudi Arabia. Thus, the study will help to improve teachers’ practice and decision-making because they will be aware of the benefits and disadvantages of different social media technologies. In turn, this will enable them to develop more effective teaching techniques and strategies.

Purpose of the Research

The purpose of this qualitative study will be to understand the impact that the integration of social media has on the instructional practices of teachers in Saudi Arabia. At this stage of the research, the term ‘social media’ will be generally defined as various websites and applications, both mobile and desktop, that enable electronic communication with the use of different devices.

Definition of Terms

Instructional practices: the approaches educators use to deliver lesson materials (Alshehry, 2018).

Teaching strategies: the techniques that educators develop to engage students in the classroom and ensure that the explanations and assignments focus on developing necessary skills (Aldossari, 2018).

Kindergarten education, early childhood education: a combination of processes involved in teaching children below the age of 8 (Alghamdi et al., 2022).

Online communication: sharing and receiving information via the Internet.

Teaching environment: a space where most of the educational processes take place, such as a classroom.

Social media tools: the instruments and website used to communicate over a computer network; these can include blogs, forums, specifically developed educational platforms, and social networks (Alshwiah & Alaulamie, 2022)

Literature Review

Problem and Purpose

Despite the fact that social media have been developing rapidly over the last decade, there is still a lack of research on the ways to integrate these resources in educational practices. Questions that also remain understudied include the benefits that social media integration will have when used by kindergarten teachers and the different effects that these platforms can have on the learning process. In countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, a relatively substantial amount of research has been done on this problem. However, Saudi Arabia remains one of the countries where the use of social media in kindergarten education is poorly studied and underutilized. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the impact that social media can have on instructional practices of kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia.

Advantage of Integration of Social Media

The first study that can be discussed to demonstrate a general view on the integration of social media platforms in teaching techniques was conducted by Greenhow et al. in 2019. This article presents a review of the studies published on the topic, analyzing the effects of social media on “student learning, teacher professional development, educational research practices, and communication of scholarship” (Greenhow et al., 2019, p. 178). The main question the study is trying to answer is about the role of technology and social media in modern education, and whether this role has to be enhanced. The study claims that social media integration can present new learning opportunities.

One example provided is the fact that social media can improve students’ active listening skills and increase engagement. First, the out-of-school time they spend on social media will allow them to have higher motivation while performing school-related tasks that require online participation. Second, it will facilitate student communication and collaboration, especially in case of restrictions related to school attendance. Third, social media will allow to “enhance students’ connections to communities, within and beyond the classroom” (Greenhow et al., 2019, p. 180). In addition, Greenhow et al. (2019) found that the integration of online communication technologies will allow enhancing educational research practices through the use of new generated sources of data.

Social Media Integration Research Worldwide

While the previous study has presented a general overview of the possible advantages of social media use in education, the study by Barrot (2020) presented a more specific review. The author has managed to create a research landscape, which includes the platforms that are considered most popular among teachers and the most productive countries where social media integration has been discussed extensively. These countries include the United States, the United Kingdem, Australia, and Canada, “with an output ranging from 102 to 245 papers” (Barrot, 2020, p. 655). The fifth country in this list was Turkey with 74 studies conducted on the topic, “overtaken by Taiwan and Spain with an h-index of 17 and 16, respectively” (Barrot, 2020, p. 655). The last three countries were China, Malaysia and Hong Kong, with a general output of 166 research articles (Barrot, 2020, p. 656). Therefore, it can be suggested that the majority of the countries where social media integration in education has been researched are developed countries with a relatively high level of economy and quality of life.

However, there has been less research done on the topic in relation to developing countries, as well as developed countries in the Middle East. One example of the research that focused on a developing country is a study conducted by Hassan and Kommers in 2018. This study focused on the integration of social media networks in teachers’ practices in Sudan, taking into account the limited extent to which they are able to use these technologies. Having analyzed the specific educational needs and characteristics of students in Sudan, the authors conclude that social media integration would help teachers to improve the quality of education.

Social Media Integration in Saudi Arabia

While Saudi Arabia is considered to be a developed country due to the rapid economic growth it has demonstrated in recent decades, there is little research focusing on social media integration in education in this country. The relation of social media practices to and their effect on kindergarten education is even less studied. An example of the research done on early childhood education in Saudi Arabia is a 2022 study by Albahar and Alammari. The authors claim that it is especially important for kindergarten teachers to integrate social media in teaching practices because “young children’s cognitive development and capacity to learn” will allow them to achieve more productive results (Albahar & Alammari, 2022, p. 6). Al-Hezam (2017) also attempted to incorporate the findings of the international research in the practices of teachers in Saudi Arabia. Having analyzed the benefits of technology application in kindergarten education, the author has suggested a specific strategy to use social media to help children during their transition from kindergarten to primary school (Al-Hezam, 2017). Therefore, it can be argued that social media integration does not only expand the learning opportunities available to kindergarten children, but can also facilitate challenging processes.

Methods

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to identify the participants, procedure, data collection methods, and research design of the proposed study. In addition, this section will discuss data analysis, instrumentation or apparatus, and ethical considerations involved.

Participants

The population of the study consists of kindergarten teachers and their students aged 4 to 6 years. The sample will be obtained by means of a random stratified sampling procedure that will involve contacting the educational facilities where participating teachers work. The teachers will be contacted both through social media networks and in person to discuss the research activities and arrange the schedule. The inclusion criterion for the students will be “kindergarten children aged 4 to 6 years whose parents have given their written permission for the child to participate in the study” (Al-Hezam, 2017, p. 48). In addition, the children’s parents will have to be willing to participate as well, as their cooperation will help to assess the outcomes. The sample will include 12 teachers and 80 children who will be studied in groups of 6 to 8 children.

Procedure and Data Collection

Data collection will include conducting semi-structured interviews consisting of questionnaires for students and their parents, and comprehensive reports for teachers. The steps involved in the data collection process will include setting the goals of the interview, designing the questions, assembling the participants, deciding on the medium, and conducting the interview. The teachers will be given information about the aim and the background of the study, which will engage them fully into the research process. In addition, parents will be given instructions on how to provide their children with necessary devices and resources to complete the assigned tasks using social media. The purpose of this procedure is to provide the participants with a profound insight into the steps of the research and different aspects involved in it.

Literature review will be used to develop the questions for the interview. The findings form the studies reviewed will be compared to the participants’ responses to identify the effect that the social media interventions had on teachers’ instructional practices. In addition, teachers and students will be asked to provide general feedback on their experiences and performance. To ensure the adequacy and accuracy of data, responses collected in one group will have to be compared and contrasted to those provided by the other teachers.

Research Design

The specific methodology that will be used in the proposed qualitative study is presented by semi-structured interviews. This research method can be defined as a data collection strategy used to gather information from the key participants of the study (Ruslin et al., 2022). The method will include a number of steps; first, the purpose and the scope of the study will be determined, and the participants will be identified. The next steps are the consideration of potential ethical issues and planning the aspect of logistics and schedules (Ruslin et al., 2022). These will be followed by developing a guide for the interviews and building a trusting relationship with the participants. The next stage will be the interview itself, followed by a reflection and analysis session. The final steps involved in this research method are the demonstration of the credibility of the study and the presentation of the findings. This methodology is suitable for the problem of interest because it allows collecting qualitative, open-ended data and learning more about the participants’ views on the use of social media in kindergarten education.

Another strength of semi-structured interviews as a research method is the fact that they can help to identify specific weaknesses and problems that may be caused by the interventions. Within the context of the proposed study, the intervention is presented by social media integration in instructional practices of kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this methodology can help to identify the issues and difficulties that children and teachers might face in the learning process. However, the method also has limitations; first, some participants might consider the open-ended interviews time-consuming, which may result in their unwillingness to participate (Brown & Danaher, 2017). Second, it can be challenging to write questions which are not leading in any way. Therefore, it will be essential for the researchers to ensure that all the questions are phrased in a neutral and unbiased manner. The design of the approach used is case study, which is most appropriate for this qualitative research. This design allows researchers to focus on a specific subject, such as social media integration in kindergarten education, in a specific location, which in this case is Saudi Arabia.

Data Analysis

Two approaches will be used to analyse the data collected. The first one is content analysis; this approach will be applied to compare, contrast, and analyse the patterns identified in the responses collected from the participants. The second approach is narrative analysis, which refers to analysing the participants’ stories and perspectives. In this case, the stories analysed will be presented in the feedback part of the study, which will allow gaining a deeper insight into different ways the intervention has impacted the learning process. To ensure the fidelity and accuracy of the interpretation, different researchers will provide written reports of their own perceptions and preliminary impressions before engaging in detailed discussion of the findings. This measure will help to avoid making biased conclusions that could be influenced by irrelevant or insignificant factors. Several other measures will be taken to handle subjective bias. First, an impartial researcher not involved in the intervention will be invited to evaluate the methodology, design, and findings of the study. Second, participating teachers will also be offered to review the results.

Instrumentation

The materials that will be used in this study include devices available to the participating students at home and in the classroom. These will be mainly represented by laptops, mobile phones, and tablets with a stable Internet connection. As mentioned in the previous sections, the main instrument that will be used in the proposed research is a survey questionnaire consisting of a number of open-ended questions. The reliability of this research instrument will be ensured by implementing it on random samples of teachers and students not involved in the research (Alhumaid, 2020). After that, a statistical analysis will be performed to verify the reliability of the study instruments, and the accepted value will be established prior to use of study with participants.

The validity of the research instrument will be ensured by providing the questionnaires to two social media professionals, who will make their observations and provide suggestions for improvement, if necessary. However, the main instrument for the intervention will be developed by the researcher. The development process will involve creating a questionnaire based on the extensive literature review about the benefits of social media integration in kindergarten education. In turn, the validation process that will be used to determine the technical accuracy of the instrument will involve consulting social media professionals and early childhood education professionals.

Ethical Considerations

The main ethical consideration that exists in relation to the proposed research is the possible negative attitude of the parents. For example, some may be unwilling to provide their children with necessary devices, or they may be dissatisfied with some aspects of the research, such as assignments that require online communication. Some parents might be against their children spending additional time in front of a screen. To avoid this, it is extremely important to discuss all the details of the study with parents before the intervention. Researchers will have to explain that the design of the study involves limited screen time that will allow to identify specific advantages of the social media integration. To comply with all ethical guidelines, researchers will also discuss confidentiality issues with the participants, as well as the particular roles of all teachers, parents, and students in the study.

Utility and Limitations of Research

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to discuss the anticipated outcomes of the research and identify the limitations that might be involved. In addition, this section will provide explanation of the importance of the outcomes expected and how they will be beneficial in the field of early childhood education.

Anticipated Outcomes of the Research

It is expected that the research will help to identify the impact that social media integration has on instructional practices of kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia. So far, the body of literature on the topic has provided general overviews of the benefits that can be expected in terms of student performance (Alhumaid & Ayoubi, 2020). This research, however, aims to draw clear connections between different types of social media activities and their effects on both children’s and teachers’ productivity. In addition, the outcomes of the research are expected to be useful for educators in developing teaching strategies that involve social media resources.

Limitations of the Research

The proposed study has a number of limitations that can interfere with the reliability of its outcomes. First, there is a lack of prior research that addresses the issue in question in relation to kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the existing studies might not take cultural characteristics into account. To avoid negative consequences that might be caused by this factor, researchers will have to address the aspect of culture, determining if there are any culture-related issues that may affect the course of the study (Alhumaid & Ayoubi, 2020).

Another limitation is the fact that some interviews may need to be conducted remotely due to the lack of time or participants’ inability to attend the meeting. This, in turn, could have certain disadvantages; for example, the interviewees may get too distracted and not pay sufficient attention to answering the questions of the interviewer. As a result, this would pose a threat to the credibility of the study. In addition, participants may not feel as comfortable while conducting a virtual interview as they would in a real, face-to-face session. This could also make them more cautious when answering the questions, leading to unreliable results.

Another limitation is the location of the kindergartens where the interventions and the interviews will take place. For example, the scope of the study might be limited by kindergartens located in urban areas. This poses a major threat to the transferability of the study, since kindergarten teachers and students from rural areas are excluded from the sample (Alhumaid & Ayoubi, 2020). As a result, it may be challenging to use the findings to make specific generalizations about the interventions. Therefore, the researcher will have to include teachers from rural areas and smaller towns in the study sample.

Importance of the Expected Outcomes to the Field

The importance of the expected research outcomes in the field is based on the fact that they can be applied by kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia and other countries to improve the learning process. Constantly developing, advanced technologies are being increasingly used in education. However, so far this practice has been mainly limited to higher education and graduate education (Aleisa, 2022). At the same time, there has been a body of research created on introducing technology in kindergarten classrooms. Moreover, studies have identified a number of benefits that can be realized from the integration of social media in instructional practices if kindergarten teachers. The proposed study will therefore be highly valuable in relation to the hypotheses suggested by prior research. It will allow addressing these theories and suggestions, discussing the tangible impact that has been identified, and applying the findings to the actual learning processes of kindergarten students.

Conclusion

Over the last decade, social media has become an integral part of modern life. However, the potential of using it in early childhood education is still understudied. Therefore, the purpose of the proposed research is to identify the impact of the use of social media in instructional practices of kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia. As part of this qualitative study, a group of kindergarten teachers will introduce several new activities based on the use of social media platforms into their instructional practices. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires will then be used as the main research method to collect and analyze data. The results of this study are expected to either confirm or refute the results of the previous research, which will be identified in detail at the design and literature review stages.

In relation to the current topic, the research reviewed shows that a comprehensive analysis of the impact of social media integration on the instructional practices in Saudi Arabia is still lacking. However, the previous research also sheds light on the topic, as it allows analyzing various perspectives on it. Thus, the findings of the international research can be applied to the discussion of the specific subject in the specific culture. In addition, they provide data on different aspects of the research question, such as the benefits of social media integration to improve different aspects of the learning process. Some limitations of the studies reviewed include the lack of the qualitative synthesis of the research done on the topic and the insignificant amount of non-English research available to scholars. The aspect of my work that has not been addressed sufficiently by the previous research is the specific impact that social media integration will have on kindergarten children in Saudi Arabia. In addition, it has not been discussed whether cultural characteristics will affect learning outcomes and children’s use of technologies. Therefore, additional research may focus on these specific aspects of the question.

While there is a clear connection between the proposed study and the previous works, there is also an obvious need for further research. To ensure that kindergarten teachers in Saudi Arabia use technologies and social media networks in the most productive ways, researchers and educators need to develop comprehensive teaching approaches and strategies. These practices have to be based on the clear understanding of the impact that various platforms can have on the learning process. In addition, research has to focus on which of the activities used in and outside the classroom can benefit most from specific types of online resources.

References

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