Carpenter collaborated on this research with Bianca S. Biadeni, currently a doctoral student at the Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing in São Paulo, Brazil. During the 2024-25 academic year, Biadeni spent five months at ������Ƶ completing a research internship with Carpenter, funded by the Brazilian government. Their article, “Exploring teacher perspectives on contemporary complexities in K-12 ICT integration,” resulted from that internship, and can be found

The article abstract reads as follows:

“Although the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated information and communication technology (ICT) use, concerns around the impacts of technology on young people are on the rise. The contemporary influences on teachers as they make decisions about ICT and how different contextual elements affect their technology use are not well understood. To address this literature gap, this qualitative study collected data via interviews with K-12 teachers (N = 16). Data were analyzed first inductively and then based upon a social-ecological model. Participants described various influences that impacted their perceptions and uses of ICT, from internal and external considerations, to proximal and distal contextual forces. They reported paradoxes and tensions that they grappled with as they considered ICT use. Varying degrees of optimism, skepticism, and ambivalence regarding technology were all evident. We discuss these findings in relation to literature and theory around teacher ICT use, and offer implications for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and professional learning.”

Carpenter collaborated on the research with colleagues from two Spanish universities: Paula Marcelo-Martinez from the University of Huelva, and Ingrid Moquera-Gende from the International University of La Rioja. Marcelo-Martinez previously spent a month at ������Ƶ as a visiting international scholar working with Carpenter. The article, “When online teacher colleagues meet in person: Social-emotional connections and learning at a non-traditional professional convening” can be found .

The article abstract reads as follows:

During their careers, many educators participate in professional conferences. Although formal, face-to-face conferences hosted by education organisations (e.g. professional associations, state education agencies) have a long history, various alternative conference, unconference and meetup formats that blend formal and informal elements, as well as online and offline components, also exist. The knowledge base regarding such non-traditional professional convening formats is, however, limited. This study therefore set out to explore the #EduJornada, a non-traditional conference-like event that has brought together educators in Spain who originally connected primarily online via X (formerly Twitter). Qualitative and quantitative survey data were collected from participants in the second #EduJornada (N=156), and public tweets featuring the #EduJornada hashtag were also gathered. Data analysis found that although many participants affirmed that professional learning occurred at the event, the social-emotional component appeared to be at least as important as knowledge or skill learning. These findings highlight the intertwined cognitive, social, and emotional elements of educators’ professional activities. We discuss the implications of our findings in relation to educator professional development theory, research, and practice.

The first article, “” involved an educational intervention in which TikTok was integrated into sport management classes at a Spanish university through active learning methodologies. Carpenter collaborated with Samuel López-Carril of the Universitat de València, Spain; Nicholas M. Watanabe, of the University of South Carolina; and Tiago Ribeiro, of the University of Lisbon on this article, which is available open access.

The second article, “”  investigated sport management students’ perceptions of the learning opportunities associated with Pinterest after they had used the platform for an assignment that was designed guided by active learning and constructivist learning principles. Carpenter collaborated with Samuel López-Carril, and María Huertas González-Serrano, both of the Universitat de València, Spain, and Nicholas M. Watanabe, of the University of South Carolina, on this article.

Carpenter collaborated on the research with colleagues from two German universities: André Meyer, Dirk Richter, and Sebastian Kempert of the University of Potsdam, and Eric Richter of the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Their article, “Teachers’ perceived stressors and stress from Instagram use” is available   An earlier version of the article received a Best Paper Award from the Technology as an Agent of Change in Teaching and Learning SIG at the American Education Research Association’s 2025 Annual Meeting.

The article abstract reads as follows:

Many teachers use social media for professional purposes, but the impact of these activities on their well-being is underexplored. In this study, we developed four scales to assess stressors from teachers’ Instagram use and examined their relationship to Instagram-related stress among 304 teachers. Structural equation modeling revealed that information overload, social comparison, and procrastination are associated with teacher stress. Passive Instagram use (e.g. seeking information) was related to more social comparison and procrastination, while active use (e.g. sharing information) was associated with less social comparison. Our findings contribute to understanding potential side effects of teachers’ job-related social media use. Moreover, this study adds quantitative insights into how social media affects teacher stress, informing educators and policymakers alike.

Carpenter collaborated on the article with K. Bret Staudt Willet and Hunhui Na of Florida State University, and University of North Carolina at Charlotte, respectively. Their article, “Ex-Edchat: Historic retrospective of X/Twitter #Edchat” is available .

The article abstract reads as follows:

For more than a decade, education-related X/Twitter hashtags facilitated networking and resource-sharing among educators with related interests and needs, resulting in self-reported impacts on practice. #Edchat was one of the first such hashtags and attracted substantial attention as an affinity space for educators. This study retrospectively explores long-term and large-scale digital trace X/Twitter data associated with #Edchat from October 2008 to May 2023, analyzing more than 15 million tweets in terms of changes in volume (e.g., daily tweets) and content (e.g., questions, replies, hyperlinks, co-occurring hashtags, language features). Findings suggest that #Edchat’s initial success led to impressive growth, followed by change in the nature of content and a long period of steady decline. Specific social dynamics associated with the hashtag, such as the decline of its associated synchronous chat, as well as technical factors (e.g., platform updates, policy changes) appear to have influenced #Edchat’s volume and content. Quantifying the shifting nature of this long-standing affinity space contributes to understanding the opportunities and challenges educators may encounter on social media broadly and highlights the importance of supporting and developing educators’ digital literacy.

Doherty is an ������Ƶ Teaching Fellows program alum who completed his undergraduate studies in 2024, majoring in history with teacher licensure. As a current classroom teacher at Southern Alamance Middle School, he is a participant in the Teach for Alamance program and a student in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education’s Master’s Degree in Innovation program. And now he’s a published author as well.

Doherty began his contribution to the research project as a part of his participation in the ������Ƶ Teaching Fellows program, and took undergraduate research credit hours with both Drs. Carpenter and Morrison. He also participated in the ������Ƶ Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURE), which provided him dedicated time to work on data collection and analysis, as well as funds to compensate study participants.

The article can be found , and its abstract is as follows:

Before pre-service teachers (PSTs) enter educator preparation programs, their experiences as K-12 students shape their understanding of teaching. Additionally, many aspiring teachers are exposed via social media to ideas, resources, and narratives about teachers and teaching. To help explore and conceptualize how social media may be adding to PSTs’ knowledge and expectations of teaching, we interviewed 28 PSTs about factors, experiences, and role models contributing to their understanding of teaching. Participants reported having learned about teaching through social media and demonstrated some awareness of the complexities and challenges of such learning. Most PSTs also valued content shared by teachers on social media but did not see these teachers as role models.

The reference for the article is as follows:

Carpenter, J. P., Morrison, S. A., & Doherty, G. T. (2025). Social media and pre-service teachers’ apprenticeships of observation. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. Advance online publication.

The article abstract reads as follows:

Self-directed educator professional learning is commonplace, and such activities increasingly span multiple digital spaces and formats, and blur boundaries between online and offline. In this exploratory research, we analyze the case of the #CharlasEducativas, a dynamic professional learning ecosystem that began in 2020 and is based in Spain. We describe the platforms, modalities, and activities that comprised the #CharlasEducativas from 2020–2023, and how these different elements combine to create a multiplatform learning ecosystem. Relying upon multiple data sources, we also analyze the topics and content associated with various components of this unique ecosystem, and share participant perceptions of the #CharlasEducativas. Although the ecosystem was first developed relying mostly on YouTube and X/Twitter, the #CharlasEducativas have evolved over time to include additional platforms, and even in-person events, with different spaces functioning in overlapping and distinct ways. These spaces have been employed in synchronous and asynchronous ways, using text, images, voice, and visuals to discuss and share information on a wide array of education topics. Many participants reported perceiving the #CharlasEducativas as a space of learning and community building, and credited this learning and community with sparking reflection upon and changes in their own teaching practices. We discuss how the #CharlasEducativas reflect opportunities and challenges of contemporary educator professional learning in the context of ubiquitous social media platforms. Finally, we define implications for research and practice, highlighting the need to advance understanding of educators’ multiplatform professional learning activities.

Carpenter collaborated with Hege Emma Rimmereide and Keith Turvey of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and Brighton University, England, respectively. Their article, “Exploring and comparing teachers’ X/Twitter use in three countries: Purposes, benefits, challenges and changes,” is .

The abstract reads as follows:

“In recent years, social media platforms have become key elements in many teachers’ professional lives. In particular, teacher professional activities on X (formerly Twitter) have received attention from scholars. However, research has rarely explored X/Twitter use with attention to the diverse national contexts in which teachers work. To address this literature gap, this qualitative study collected data via individual and focus group interviews with teachers (N = 29) in three countries: England, Norway and the United States of America. Inductive analysis yielded findings related to purposes for, changes in and benefits and challenges of K-12 teachers’ X/Twitter use. Participants from all three contexts described professional learning activities that included sharing and/or acquiring knowledge and resources, and building professional networks and/or communities via X/Twitter. Multiple participants across contexts also referred to similar challenges such as avoiding negativity from other users. However, differences in X/Twitter use were also noted across teachers from the three national settings, such as only Norwegian participants speaking about using X/Twitter to find collaboration partners for teaching and learning projects. We discuss our findings in relation to literature, theory and practice around teacher professional learning in an era of widespread social media.”

In the first article, Carpenter collaborated with Eric Richter, André Meyer and Dirk Richter of the University of Potsdam, Germany. The article, titled “Digital Social Support Among Educators in Social Media: An International Comparative Study of Tweets and Replies in #teachertwitter and #twlz” is The article is in the journal Computers & Education, and its abstract is as follows:

Asking questions on social media acts as a stimulus for professional learning among educators, while the answers can offer them valuable resources. Framed by the concept of digital social support and using a cross-cultural comparative approach, we investigate what type of digital social support educators seek when using educational social media spaces, and what they receive from other users who answer their questions. Analyzing 2,274 tweets and 2,020 replies from two hashtags popular among German and US teachers, #twlz and #teachertwitter, we find that educators mainly seek instrumental support (e.g. materials). Yet what is being sought influences the likelihood of getting the desired response, not the user’s characteristics. Differences emerge between the two hashtags in the kinds of support educators seek and the way educators respond to requests. The findings highlight the need for educators to possess digital competencies to fully utilize social media spaces.

In the second article, Carpenter collaborated with Annie Oliveri from the University of Texas Austin. The article, titled “Refreshing the affinity space concept: Evolving understandings of learning via social media platforms in an algorithmic age” is in the journal Information and Learning Sciences. Its abstract is as follows:

Purpose

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to describe how the affinity space concept has been used to frame learning via social media, and call for and discuss a refresh of the affinity space concept to accommodate changes in social media platforms and algorithms.

Design/methodology/approach

Guided by a sociocultural perspective, this paper reviews and discusses some ways the affinity space concept has been used to frame studies across various contexts, its benefits and disadvantages and how it has already evolved. It then calls for and describes a refresh of the affinity space concept.

Findings

Although conceptualized 20 years ago, the affinity space concept remains relevant to understanding social media use for learning. However, a refresh is needed to accommodate how platforms have changed, algorithms’ evolving role in social media participation and how these technologies influence users’ interactions and experiences. This paper offers three perspectives to expand the affinity space concept’s usefulness in an increasingly platformized and algorithmically mediated world.

Practical implications

This paper underscores the importance of algorithmic literacy for learners and educators, as well as regulations and guidance for social media platforms.

Originality/value

This conceptual paper revisits and updates a widely utilized conceptual framing with consideration for how social media platform design and algorithms impact interactions and shape user experiences.

Social Media and the Apprenticeship of Observation – Jeffrey Carpenter, Scott Morrison and Grant Doherty ’24

This presentation shared results from a study of pre-service teachers’ experiences observing teachers and teaching on social media prior to and during their teacher education programs, and discussed how such experiences may influence their knowledge and understanding of their future profession.

A Content Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Representation in Scholastic’s Weekly Reader and Book Clubs – Ellie Cotton ‘24, Lisa Buchanan, Kathy R. Fox, UNC Wilmington

Cotton and Buchanan’s presentation focused on the methodology and findings of Cotton’s undergraduate research in the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education. From May 2022 to April 2023, Cotton analyzed the representation of race in Scholastic Book Club flyers distributed to children in grades K-2. Cotton presented her research at ������Ƶ’s 2024 SURF Day as well.

“To See the World and Get Fresh Air”: A Case Study of Walking Curriculum in First Grade – Alice Rickards ’24 and Scott Morrison

Rickards and Morrison presented findings from their case study on the perspectives and experiences of walking curriculum on first-graders who went on walks around their school every day. Walking curriculum is when teachers take students out of the classroom on a walk with a curricular focus; it integrates movement and emergent curriculum, not a “break” from learning. During the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years, they completed over 200 hours of observations with the teacher and students, including going on walks and conducting interviews with 24 students and 15 caregivers.

Additional presentations by Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education faculty included the following:

Exploring and Comparing Teacher Twitter Use in Three Countries: Purposes, Benefits, Challenges, and Changes – Jeffrey Carpenter, Hege Emma Rimmereide of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Keith Turvey of the University of Brighton.

Interrogating How Teachers Search for, Decide to Download, and Review Online Educational Resource Marketplace Materials – Jeffrey Carpenter, and Catharyn Shelton of Northern Arizona University.

Investigating Associations of Teacher Characteristics With Open Educational Resource Usage in Social Media Communities – Jeffrey Carpenter, Fitore Morina, Tim Fütterer, and Christian Fischer of Tübingen University, and Joshua Rosenberg of the University of Tennessee.

Nobody Goes There Anymore, It’s Too Crowded: Historic Retrospective of Twitter #Edchat – Jeffrey Carpenter and Staudt Willet of Florida State University.