Using Social Media in Teaching History: Pros and Cons from Teachers’ Perspectives
Mathn Raj Elamurugu1*, Mohd Mahzan Awang1
1 Faculty of Education, The National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author:[email protected] Accepted: 15 April 2023 | Published: 30 April 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2023.5.1.24
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Abstract: This project paper discusses about using social media as a tool in teaching history.
In this 21st century the whole world is witnessing the rapid growth of technology. The usage of social media has become a part of our daily life in this era. There has been explosive growth in the number of social media sites and the numbers of social media users keeps increasing.
This study examines the effectiveness of social media in teaching history. This study used qualitative approach in an exploratory case-study to understand the perspectives of teachers’
using social media in teaching history. A total of 5 research participant who took part in this study were interviewed during data collection for this study. Data collection was done using a semi structured interview with open ended questions. Those respondents selected are history teachers who has various experience in teaching history. Both teacher and students are willing to use social media in education and enhance the educational experience thru the latest technology development. Most of the historical facts are in the form of video, images, and graphics. In this case, using social media as an effective platform to teach history is an undeniable fact. This study also suggests that using excessive social media would arise many problems among students. Researcher also suggest that there is a need of training to evaluate use of social media in teaching history and enhance the abilities to use the available social media sites.
Keywords: Social Media, Technology, Interview
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1. Introduction
It is witnessed that through the development of social media technology the requirements for using the technology in the education industry have increased. In the case of teaching, modern technologies play a significant role in creating awareness in the modern students about the past histories. It can also be seen that the modern educators of history need the technologies because the youths of the country are more enthusiastic about the modern technologies. One can see that modern technology helps young leaders to measure some of the historical elements more accurately. In the earlier times, it is witnessed that the history teachers convey their opinions on some historical subjects based on the research done by the earlier researchers. Therefore, there is a greater chance that many of the students can feel the past histories to be imaginary.
Modern technology helps the teachers to support the teaching topic with appropriate elements.
One can see that in the traditional teaching techniques the teachers only present the imaginary figure of the actual happenings done in the past. However, in modern times with the help of advanced technologies the teachers can present the actual image of some of the historical places
which have a crucial role in history. However, in this case, the only problem is the teachers are only able to share this knowledge with a limited number of students. In this case, social media helps the teachers to easily connect with a huge number of students in a small amount of time.
The use of social media platforms not only makes the teaching process attractive but also more inclusive.
In earlier times it is seen that the teachers need to go to various places to connect with the students of various areas. It is therefore very costly for the teachers to share their knowledge in an inclusive manner. However, the use of social media helps the teachers to get relief from this traveling. The time that the teachers saved can be used by the teachers in gaining more knowledge about the specific historical topic. It can seem that in the past it was not possible for the various students to clear their doubts in a speedy manner. It is only because the students need to physically present the history classroom and thereby the students can raise their doubts.
The use of social media platforms can help in this case on an immediate basis. However, there are also some disadvantages to its usage. Therefore, in this study, an objective of the research is formulated based on both the pros and cons of social media in teaching history. The appropriate research methodology is utilized in this study to analyze the impact of social media.
Further, based on the analysis of the research data the outcomes of the research are discussed on various themes.
2. Literature Review
It is witnessed that in the present times the teachers of countries like the United Kingdom (UK) and The United States of America (USA) use the new technological tools to improve the teaching and learning process. According to Van Den Beemt et al. (2020), the use of modern social media in both the developed and developing countries has increased by such a percentage that the teacher with no technical knowledge is considered unprofessional. The use of technology in the history
classes can differ from the classes of the other subjects. For example, the GiS has a significant role in the geography field, but it has no use in the field of history. It is seen that in the earlier times the young learners get the necessary information through the help of books only.
However, in modern times the students are not only able to get the necessary information on a particular topic but also able to see the representation of the actual scenarios through social media. It is because of these benefits that history teachers can represent the pictures of actual places of events while delivering the lectures on them. It is witnessed that visual representation has a deep impact on a student's mind (Kara et al. 2020). The students can relate to the historical characters and are able to deeply understand the situations. Therefore, it is easier for the teachers to get the opinions of the students on a particular history topic.
It can also be seen that the use of social media platforms enables gathering people with knowledge on specific subjects. Therefore, history teachers around the world can easily connect with other history teachers. The discussion of the various history topics on these social media platforms can help these teachers to clear each other’s doubts on a particular subject (Bolat, 2018). It can also be seen that through the help of social media the history teachers are not only able to connect with the other teacher but also helps them to connect with the famous personalities with the expertise of various areas of history. It is seen that some people have sufficient knowledge of the political histories and others the social histories. Social media platforms help to collaborate the person with the various expertise and fulfill the overall requirements of knowledge of a student for a particular student. It is because of the involvement
with the different persons in the relevant fields the teachers are updated about some of the historical discoveries and facts on a continual basis.
To address all the queries, the teachers can create various study groups in which the teachers can solve the doubts of the students in a speedy manner (Prestridge, 2019). Further, it also helps in creating a good environment of discussion for studying the specific topic which can help in solving the many mysteries of the histories. It is seen that the study of historical languages is increasing among history students in the present times. In this case, also the teachers with the help of historians can learn the meaning of the various languages of various civilisations in the world. The knowledge of the teachers about these languages in this case can help in fulfilling the requirements of the students regarding historical language learning.
The knowledge that the teacher delivers to the students while teaching about the subjects makes a crucial impact on the future generation. Therefore, the teacher needs to be careful about whether the content that the teacher delivers is true and justified. In many cases, it is seen that the teachers based on the information gathered from books create their own assumptions on a particular topic which can be wrong. It is because of this the teachers are not able to give sufficient input on some of the historical topics. The teachers with the help of various social media can get enough resources that are sufficient to make the appropriate decisions on a particular topic. In modern times it is seen that the students are very much associated with the various media platforms. It can also be seen that the students are eager for content that is presented with accurate data and presented in a decorative manner. To attract the student to the specific history topic, the teachers can post some of the historical facts in a decorative way on the various social media platforms. The teachers can present some of the social media posts in such a way that the students are more eager to know about that topic in a detailed manner (Gruzd et al. 2018). In the traditional education system, it is found that the students feel unmotivated to study history because of the lots of information about the previous happenings (Zachos et al. 2018). Therefore, it can definitely be addressed through this approach and fulfil the curiosity of the students with sufficient knowledge about the study. Therefore, one can safely say that the use of social media platforms provides solutions for the modern youths of the country throughout the history of the nation. It can also influence the future learners to choose history as their favorite topic and to contribute to this subject with their best effort.
3. Issue and Problems
It is seen that there are multiple advantages that social media provides to the history teacher.
However, there are also some disadvantages to the use of social media by teachers. The major disadvantage that social media causes is it disrupts the normal thinking power of the students on topics. In the previous time, it is seen that the teachers convey the necessary information on some of the historical topics. It is because of this the students need to deeply think about the specific subject which is helpful in building a strong knowledge base of a particular topic. In modern times it is seen that the students spend enough time on social media in gathering lots of information on a particular topic (Abacioglu et al.2020). However, it seems to be helpful for the students, but it destroys the student's habits of deeply studying some of the historical incidents. Therefore, from this point of view, it can easily be said that it is not possible for the teachers to deeply attach students to the study topic. The surface knowledge of a particular topic can increase the risk of confusion in the later stage. It can also be seen that history is a continuous flow of knowledge from one generation to another generation. In case the modern youths do not have a clear concept of a particular topic it will not create future historians.
One can see that the social media platforms in modern times are very lucrative in nature because they present lots of information on various topics. Therefore, there is a major chance that students get distracted from the use of social media platforms. The teacher needs to take precautions so that the students do not suffer by destruction. Many other ways he or she can suggest or teach but not make them or provoke them to use social media. Once, the students engage in social media that can hamper the academic career of students.
It can also be seen to access the social media services the teacher and student need to have the technological devices. However, in poor countries, it is not possible to equip every student with technological devices. Therefore, the efforts of the teachers in creating the attractive social media content are not able to give desired outcomes. It can also be seen that social media sometimes provides information that is not accurate for the topic. However, the modern teachers and students feel it to be relevant for the subject and follow that information to teach the future generations of the country (Yildiz Durak, 2021). Therefore, it can create a negative impact on the young learner’s mind.
It can also be seen that some of the social media platforms are different from country to country.
Therefore, in the case of the international level, it is not possible for the teachers to connect with each student of the various countries (Abacioglu et al. 2020). Further, it can also be seen that the hostility among some of the countries can also create a barrier in gathering the students of the various countries on social media platforms. It can also be seen that many history teachers around the world are not technologically compatible. Therefore, it is not possible for history teachers around the world to provide the same benefits that a technologically efficient teacher can deliver to his students.
4. Objective
The objectives of the research are as follows:
i. To find out the advantages of social media platforms for history teachers.
ii. To analyse the possible barriers to use of social media platforms by history teachers around the world.
iii. To suggest an effective suggestion to reduce the challenges of social media platforms.
iv. To analyse the future roles of social media platforms in History education.
5. Research Methodology
Research Participants
The researchers have done the interview process with the help of 5 respondents who are all history teachers, and they would all provide the answers based on using social media to teach history in the classrooms. The researchers have asked different types of questions during the interview session.
Research Design
In this present study the researcher has used a Qualitative research method that defines a market research process that totally focuses on obtaining a data collection process based on communication conversation as well. Qualitative research includes all the numerical factors for analyzing a non-numerical data for understanding the concepts and opinions based on the experiences of the research. The researcher can gain a deep knowledge about the present study for generating new ideas and concepts for the research which would give a statistical analysis of the research. There are some common approaches of qualitative data that have been found
in the study and those are, action of the research, phenomenological research and in narrative research. The researchers have used qualitative research in this present study so that they can find the answers of using social media to teach history in the classrooms.
Interview Protocols
Interview protocols are the guidance for the interviews while conducting an interview for a survey process for collecting all the relevant information based on the research topic. There are methods of interview protocols are present which would help a researcher to follow the rules during the interview session. At first, they have to introduce themselves before starting the interview process and the subject of the interview as well. The interview protocols determine different types of factors such as consent of the respondents, interview questions and the answering process in the interview.
Data Analysis
The researchers have used a Qualitative data collection process for gathering all types of relevant information of the topic. However, the researchers have used a questionnaire to conduct the interview session with 5 respondents. In this present study they have made all the relevant themes based on using social media for teaching the history in the classrooms from the questions.
6. Findings and Discussion
Based on the data from interview process following themes are made and analysed to reach a conclusion about the selected topic.
Theme 1: Effectiveness To Use Social Media And Influencing Teacher Speaking Skills Social media have also gained popularized and respect among EFL teachers which are needed in a traditional method to use the accomplish criteria. Moreover, it is a traditional classroom to emphasize students' writing criteria and on the other hand, it also expands to their reading purposes. Therefore, it also represents the challenges for EFL teachers to learn and display the effectiveness of using social media platforms. The research is also covered to extend criteria that are helpful to improve the speaking criteria. First, it is extended through social media which is affecting to address of questionnaire criteria. As per the views of Namaziandost and Nasri (2019), these are distributed to address among the learners that are displayed in frequent usages of social media. Teachers are significant criteria that are issued to reflect the reading and integrated social media. EFL contexts are also convenient for technology and pedagogy purposes.
History teaching criteria among teachers are influenced by their innovation that is used in many tools and added in History class to facilitate the process of learning criteria. It also provides more realistic criteria and their environmental basis to learn about the few tools and criteria.
The data are shown to record updates to tools and criteria that are kept to the advancement of the world. Overwhelming spread and social media and proceed to a successful tool that aims its influence accurate criteria to construct assumptions among language criteria. As per the views of Namaziandost and Nasri (2019), the learner also accomplished the great level criteria which are proficiency to include about three skills and using social media. Many scholars are appropriate to be successful in integrating ICT and social media within the classroom to prevent the EFL learners from the speaking skills.
Teachers are administrators from departmental criteria that are underlying to involve the research population and criteria. The impact of social media is evaluated for profitability during courses that are engaged in oral discussion among learners. On the other hand, the engagement criteria are also discussed through learning criteria that influence students to take parts of the study and decorate to magister the experience among teachers in different modules. As per the opinion of Greenhow and Chapman (2020), an overwhelming is spread to educate the teacher to believe that teachers are proved to be a success criterion fluently. Currently, assumptions are also proficient in the task to believe the impediments of the prevention criteria.
Theme 2: Digital Tools Connected Through Social Distancing To Teach History
History and its perspectives are also debated. Social media to do research literature and technology are ranged to use experience in social implication about continuing criteria. It is also evolving to define social media which is an internet based to apply its features. It is also a profile to content the created users that are developed of their online criteria. During the covid- 19 pandemic condition, the profiles are also created to use the development criteria of their online criteria in social media and its connecting users of individual groups. As per the views of Greenhow and Chapman (2020), the systems are facilitated to develop the online social network that is prominent via otters networking sites.
Social distancing criteria are also connected to features of the ability of tier transverse and view of their uniquity that is impacted by tier meta-analysis criteria. The researchers are also determined to assess each other in authentic criteria to allow students in practices and redo assignments before submitting the criteria. It has allowed us to share personal artifacts to profile a share with other content. Social media has promoted connectedness to belong to the students that use networking to emphasize the connections about sharing criteria. Social media has found the greatest percentage that is related to teeth articles and educated in the educational research quality. It has also examined the use of social media in education and context quality.
The covid-19 pandemic criteria are prominent in distance education that is issued on social media and its supporting activity. As per the views of Greenhow and Chapman (2020), it is also overcoming barriers in imaginary criteria to help reduce some reduction criteria. The students and networking sites are also reducing the distance that is filled to the disconnected experience of the education criteria to help the students in establishing education criteria. The thematic literature reviews are also suggested to help and improve the experience that is education purposes and achieving in learning and community criteria. Active learning and community building are also participating in the action that has allowed drawing the research based and providing instructional guidelines to use the social media and better engage the students.
Theme 3: Communication Strategy To Use Social Networking Sites
History teachers have examined teachers' perceptions to take advantage of the social networking criteria of their program. Public universities are also discussing qualitative research to focus on in the group discussion. The collecting criteria are also discussed to perceive what is context to take their advantages. As per the opinion of Colao et al. (2021), this analysis criterion is also related to the advantages of social networking sites concerning the Teri advantages criteria of sics, and interaction criteria. Peer discussions also motivated teachers of their experience criteria that have supported them to learn about critical thinking and criteria.
Social networking sites are also promoted to service that applies to decades and encouraged lectures. These educators also use these technologies to process their collaborative purposes
and criteria. Furthermore. SNS are also defined to use appropriately technically that is facilitated to a
range of techniques and collaborative activities signed in medicated purposes. As per the opinion of Colao et al. (2021), these are also focused on the technology that is commonly used in social networking sites and applied to a range of social technology and facilitated collaborative criteria of their learning purposes. The teachers are all serviced to the world citizens that are available to the popularity and its criteria. Social technology is flexible to support the process that is necessary for the learning and teaching criteria.
History teachers and tier criteria are helped to develop their criteria which are needed to process their necessary processing of the criteria and management criteria. Teachers are necessary to develop the processing which is necessary to develop the criteria. It is also provided to support and link the resources that are relevant Abbott tee information. It is also provided to support the resources that are inferred to control and users and students and teaching for the students, higher education is also utilised to the princess and teaching criteria and learning in differentiated ion scilla activities. As per the opinion of Colao et al. (2021), existing criteria and literature are also suggested the advantages of their online social networking criteria are for educational purposes. The issues also increased the communication criteria among the students which are valuable for the developing students. It is also a collaborative criterion that is appealing to contribute to direct instances of the efficient and participation criteria. It is also used in social networking criteria to reduce anxiety levels among teachers.
Theme 4: Rethinking and Adaptability Of Teachers To Teach In New Technology Psychological impacts are also resulting on their adolescent home in several criteria to the Fourier criteria that is impacted shortly and its crucial criteria and helpful to consequences are dependable on the temporary condition. The most vulnerable criteria are also rely on educational criteria that are disadvantages of Teri's disability of their parental support. Major inequalities are also cruised to access in digital learning criteria. The United Nations are also globalized and organized to innovate the purposes of tier students. As per the views of Habibi et al. (2021), social media are also actions to support students and through guide reporting involvement private and public criteria among stakeholders. The researchers are also shown to use social media ad students are also enhanced to interact between students. The people are also a resource of importance to the students that it is necessary for their senses and belonging criteria in an educational community.
It is a connecting criterion to learning about the impact of social media and it has become a driving factor. Technology is used for educational purposes that are changed to complement and used effectively. History teachers are also developing the educational possibility that is effects on education criteria and the negative effects of social media and their perspectives. It is a vital part that is regarded as a learning platform to enhance their students' capability and engagement criteria by many scholars. As per the views of Habibi et al. (2021), These platforms are also faced with an opportunity that is connected to Getty and access information in the research criteria. Social media are communicated to accept the dependable prospect that is helped to change in the education sector.
Theme 5: Teaching Technology Educators Have Modified Teaching Criteria Among Teachers
Teaching technology and its integration of the teacher are graphs that are constantly politically and changing impacted professional requirements. It is continuous to encoding technology and
sg\hers in teachers and educators that cannot foresee their students to expect the education purposes. Future and technology are also careers to train the teachers to practice technology in integration criteria in meaningful and effective dutiful challenges. It has proposed a theoretical responsibility that is used for the challenging criteria in other words the education technology also seems to involve their consideration criteria that critically evaluate the competing models.
As per the views of Kimmons et al. (2020), these are also an understanding of normal science that has realities to shape their practices of technology purposes. Serious implications for practices that lead to description and their implication criteria and reality throughout the education technology. It is also lived to bromide the education technology of unrealized quality.
The theoretical model also represents the phenomenon that is allowed to organize the understanding of experiences and individuals of their interactivity. Disciplines are utilized to use a theoretical model that professionals use to model the social and natural worlds.
Substantial work and theory development criteria and explained in essential limits that are theoretical models to hold sufficient variables in different concepts and construction details purposes. As per the views of Kimmons et al. (2020), Sufficient criteria are also allowed to prevent overreaching criteria that are needed to influence their criteria for the necessary purposes of the development criteria. Collaboration criteria are also proposed to date the undertaken criteria that are focusing to enhance the instruction and focusing the teacher's technology. Digital criteria are enhanced to improve learning quality and help the device in more riches of a deeper context.
Teachers are found to be driven out by the external requirement that is needed at the performance level. It discusses technological criteria that are transmitted In the education system and it is also helpful to address the local students. It is concord to address the best cry criteria the is the care and manners to respect the local students under institutional criteria. As per the views of Kimmons et al. (2020), technology integration and model are emphasized to realize and access the technology that is a concept to required technology. Poor communication between students and teachers is encouraged to adopt the diversity that is valuable to result in the crossing criteria and its purposes. It is intended to use teaching model b and teachers are losing the fruitful thinking criteria. The connection between the practices also occurred to model and insights beyond the capabilities.
7. Conclusion
Social media has good and bad impacts on students as if it's considered for all human beings there are good impacts, but the negative impacts are observed maximum times. The teachers who know to utilize it is they can follow many historical sites as many historical blogs or vlog contents are uploaded on the social media sites many such news agencies or channels have who tell the history of incidents such as the BBC news shows the different scientific or current social news and also sometimes, they explore some historical places which can help teachers.
The students are not very mature, especially those who are under eighteen. The graduate students are also not exceptional but sometimes they use social media with good initiatives.
The research paper has analyzed the data that the use of social media has bad impacts maximum times because the people or students cannot control themselves with good management. The teacher can motivate and share the contents with the students, and they can make a group so that the teacher can share different sites. The teachers should be focused so that social media could not hamper their personal or professional lives.
Using social media excessively and if he or she changes their track then that should not give them benefits. The historical and travel blogs are more on social media, but the teacher must choose the authentic sites because many such sites have where the wrong information. The teacher must identify the authentic sites as they are teaching the students. If they are getting the wrong information and influenced by the wrong information, then that should affect the student's career and knowledge.
Many problems also arise as the teacher could be disrupted from normal thinking. That's why the teacher has to be careful, and the misleading can damage his or her knowledge. The misconceptions also can be avoided if the documentary was viewed with the proper help from any authentic research paper from Google, then which could be helped to differentiate the data.
Online viewing of the documentary could not help a teacher. Also, they need to be initiated to read books or research papers.
To teach the student or inform the student the teacher needs to make a post or write on that data of information and must make the post in a way so that the student could get more interest to know the history. Many people thought history is boring but the storytelling and writing process should be in a way so that everybody should get interested. The conversation with students and their opinion or question needs to be answered by the teacher so that the student gets more motivated. The utilization of social media can be done in a way so that the students also could know how to use this social media and not get distracted from the path. The issues of using devices can be as if the teacher tells them to follow his or her blog or site the student would demand the mobile phones so that the parents could make objection and it impacts the students.
All the things need to be kept in mind the teacher could not force. One solution can be taken to show in the classroom about the documentary and writing by taking permission from the principal and can show those projects to the students. That should be beneficial for students and would help them to motivate how to use social media.
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