K–12 music educators' use of technology and social media platforms as tools for communication with students and parents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate K–12 music educators’ use of technology and social media platforms to communicate with students and parents about their school music programs. Three research questions guided this investigation: (1) How do K–12 music educators communicate and disseminate information that pertains specifically to their school music program with students and parents outside of the classroom? (2) What technology and social media platforms do K–12 music educators use to communicate with students and parents outside of the classroom? (3) If K–12 music educators use social media platforms for communication, why do they communicate with students and parents in this way? A researcher-designed 16-item questionnaire was distributed to members of a state music association email listserv. Respondents (N = 246) were K–12 certified music teachers who specialized in general music, band, choir, and orchestra from a large southeastern state. Results indicated that music teachers preferred email and the social media platform Facebook as a means of communication with both students and parents. Respondents indicated that social media platforms allowed them to disseminate information quickly and easily. Implications for further research are also discussed.