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the factors affecting administrators' In a 2019 review study the researcher
understanding about Twitter and it's reviewed 103 peer-reviewed research
use over a period of time (Cho & Rangel, studies published during the period 2007
2016). The study is based primarily to 2017. These research studies focused
upon interviews and 1455 tweets of 17 on use of Twitter across educational
administrators located in the United settings. Most of the reviewed research
States and Canada. By approaching studies were descriptive case studies
structuration theory, the study found and were conducted with the students
that administrators' understanding of higher Education of North American
and use of Twitter were based on their and European countries. Majority of the
social contexts i.e. values, expectations reviewed studies indicated that use of
and beliefs. Practices of using Twitter Twitter increases students' motivation,
were neither predetermined nor fixed. engagement in the class and their
In fact, enhanced interactions with learning (Anthony & Jewel, 2017).
colleagues and friends on the use of Another major finding of the study
Twitter changed their perception about was the professional development of
Twitter. Some administrators used teachers by networking, sharing of
Twitter more frequently while others ideas, resources, practices and forming
used Twitter less number of times. The a community of practice of teachers.
reasons for less use of Twitter by a few Researchers noted many recurring
administrators were twitter's panoptic negative issues of Twitter usage
effect, increased surveillance in the in Education; some of which were
online environment.
infringement to right to privacy,
A study on '#PD: Examining the unavailability of sufficient space for
Intersection of Twitter and Professional expressing oneself and load of handling
Learning’ was conducted in 2016 lots of information. In spite of there
(Biddolph & Curwood, 2016). The study being drawbacks in using Twitter, there
focused on use of Twitter for professional is enough evidence about Twitter's
learning of English language teachers potentiality in aiding professional
most of whom were from Australia. development for teachers and students
Data collection was done from multiple as well (Carpenter 2014; Carpenter
sources through online survey (of all 64 & Krutka, 2015). Finally, the study
teachers), semi-structured interviews envisaged that most of the analysed
(with 8 participants) and content analysis studies were spread in North American
of 530 tweets that used #ozengchat and European countries. The study
hashtag. The study gave evidence of suggested an intense need to carry
use of Twitter as an authentic platform out more studies on the use of Twitter
to share, promote and acknowledge in other parts of the world especially
teachers' ideas and practices. The study within countries of Asia and Africa
reiterated that Twitter helped teachers continents where use of social media is
to exercise their agency in choosing remarkable.
professional development programs as The review of the related literature
per their needs and interests.
suggests the need for the use of

184 Indian Journal of Educational Technology
Volume 3, Issue 2, July 2021