Student teachers' use of social media for academic purposes

The emergence of social media in particular has altered the teaching-learning process due to technological advancements. College and teacher education students today have a variety of methods to benefit from using social media. It will provide a means for the students to efficiently communicate with one another regarding class projects, group tasks, or for assistance with homework assignments, as well as greatly benefit practice teaching. The study investigates student teachers' independent usage of social media for academic purposes. Data regarding the use of social media in the teaching-learning process of student teachers was gathered using a questionnaire in order to examine how student teachers use it for academic purposes. Data collected from 98 student teachers allowed for the development of a nuanced picture of social media usage. The results imply that student teachers utilized a variety of social media to both "survive" and enhance their student identities during their teacher education course. They utilized social media at the same time to get ready to shift into their future careers. Through social media, participants built their social skills by connecting with people in their existing networks and loose communities of peers and study groups. The study discusses the advantages of this social media usage. When conceptualising the usage of social media, it is crucial to recognize the blurred lines between personal and academic goals and to take participants' complicated reality into account. The study offers recommendations for further research into the use of social media by pre-service teachers as well as theoretical and practical consequences for institutions that provide basic teacher education.