Scholarly record

PLAYING THE FACEBOOK GAME BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

Loredana Manasia, A. Ungureanu, R. Ilisanu

Abstract

The paper reports the results of an exploratory research aiming to investigate to what extent teachers and students in secondary education use Facebook to interact. Two related samples were selected based on availability and convenience criteria. Thus, 178 teachers and 136 students participated in the research study and completed a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised three parts: the first included socio-demographic items; the second consisted in the multidimensional Facebook intensity scale [1] and the third assessed perceptions, attitudes and motives to use Facebook as a tool to facilitate didactic communication. The research results suggest there is a risk of Facebook overuse among students. In addition, the students tend to use Facebook against boredom. As for the teachers, Facebook supports self-expression and allows them to monitor the well-being of the students. Research findings indicate that students consider Facebook to be a support infrastructure for school work and a pedagogical tool that gives them access to homework and additional information. Factorial analysis has shown a greater complexity of teacher's motivations to use Facebook than those of students. The teachers are more focused on them and looking through Facebook to strengthen their status and image and to monitor their students.

Publication details

Back to publication list