Abstract
Due to the immense impact of new informational technologies on contemporary society as a whole and the educational process, in particular, the problem of adequate and efficient implementation of social media as a pedagogical instrument is highly important (Bexheti, Ismaili, & Cico, 2014). The primary research problem space of this research proposal is the application of social media technologies by Saudi teachers in promoting and facilitating classroom activities. Even though there are numerous benefits of such an application, there are considerable challenges as well (Jankauskaitė, 2015). The primary research question of this proposal is the following: what are Saudi teachers’ attitudes towards using social media to support their teaching? Additionally, there are sub-questions, which are designed to investigate more specific aspects of the research problem. They include the following areas of concern: barriers that Saudi teacher might experience while implementing social media technologies in the classroom; the potential of social media to change and influence the integration of this type of networking in the classroom environment; and what are some characteristics of social media that could be beneficial for the improvement of teaching and learning experiences in Saudi high schools.
The primary research question along with the sub-question serves as guidelines for conducting the study. The quantitative approach is chosen as the research methodology since it allows us to gather and process large amounts of data. In particular, the survey is employed as the primary instrument for conducting the study. As the initial research question is focused on retrieving Saudi teachers’ attitudes and opinions about the implementation of social media technologies in the classroom, the survey appears to be the most suitable method. The application of the chosen research method allows the identified research problem space is beneficial since it allows retrieving meaningful conclusions about the level of preparedness for the efficient employment of new instructional technologies among contemporary Saudi teachers. Once the study is conducted, it is expected to find the following results. The paper aims to observe the overall perception of social media technologies as an integral part of the educational process. It is also expected to identify existing gaps in the knowledge as well as potential challenges and emerging problems. It is possible to state that the overall purpose of conducting the study is to develop an evidence-based understanding of how the educational process in Saudi high schools could be improved.
Methodology
It should be stated that the main scope of this research proposal as well as a particular research question determines the methodology, which is an integral part of any scientific study. As the first step in developing a suitable methodology, it is essential to understand what kind of data is needed to answer the proposal’s research questions. As it was previously stated, this study primarily aims to understand how Saudi high school teachers perceive the integration of social media technologies in the educational process. Therefore, it is apparent that opinions and insights from high school teachers in Saudi Arabia are the data, which is needed for the completion of the research. In particular, it is important to understand how these teachers evaluate their level of preparedness for the integration of new instructional technologies and are potential challenges and advantages of implementing social media tools in the classroom.
Further, it is critical to understand where such data could be obtained. It is possible to suggest that the most suitable source of actual information on the topic is the survey. The survey method allows structuring the retrieved information into quantitative datasets, thus making it possible to develop a comprehensive understanding of the current trends in the chosen area of interest. Moreover, people participating in surveys also provide researchers with meaningful information about their perceptions and opinions.
Accordingly, it should be stated that quantitative methodology is chosen as the primary approach to conducting the study. As it was identified previously, the survey appears to be the most suitable instrument for this proposal. This particular research design is chosen because the primary goal of this study is to gather as much information about Saudi teachers’ attitudes towards using social media in the classroom as possible. The surveys for this research proposal will be completed by teachers who have experience of working in high schools for more than a year. Thus, it would be possible to acquire a profound understanding of current trends in the Saudi educational system.
It is also of high importance to exemplify other studies in which the survey method was successfully used. As it was mentioned in the literature review section, the quantitative survey was the most used research method. Firstly, the article by Bingimlas (2017) should be mentioned since the author researched similar areas of concern, as he aimed to understand teachers’ perspectives of the use of Web 2.0 applications. The study by Oueder and Abousaber (2018) aimed to investigate Saudi students’ perceptions about the impact of social media on their academic performance. In both cases, quantitative surveys were a considerably efficient tool for retrieving participants’ opinions, and they were used in a similar area of research problem space as this proposal.
References
Bexheti, L. A., Ismaili, B. E., & Cico, B. H. (2014). An analysis of social media usage in teaching and learning: The case of SEEU. In Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on Circuits, Systems, Signal Processing, Communications and Computers (pp. 90-94). Venice, Italy.
Bingimlas, K. A. (2017). Learning and teaching with Web 2.0 applications in Saudi K-12 schools. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology-TOJET, 16(3), 100-115.
Jankauskaitė, D. (2015). Social media as a tool for improving teaching and learning experience. Signum Temporis, 7(1), 54-59.
Oueder, M., & Abousaber, I. (2018). A study on the impact of social media usage on student academic performance: University of Tabuk an example. American Scientific Research Journal for Engineering, Technology,and Sciences (ASRJETS), 40(1), 77-88.