Investigating pre-service teachers’ informally-developed online professional learning networks

This study investigates how final year pre-service teachers (PSTs) from several countries use social media to support their online professional learning network (PLN) activities. Adopting a mixed-methods approach, it uses a global survey and interview methods to generate fresh insights into PSTs’ informally-developed online PLN practices and their perceived benefits of these self-initiated activities. Findings uncover new understandings of contemporary PSTs’ patterns of use and configurations of their online PLNs and have implications for their effective transitioning into the teaching profession.