The relationship of Twitter with teacher credibility and motivation in university students

 Facundo Froment, University of Seville (Spain)

 Alfonso-Javier García-González, University of Seville (Spain)

 Julio Cabero-Almenara, University of Seville (Spain)

https://doi.org/10.3916/C71-2022-10

Keywords

Credibility, social networks, Twitter, motivation, perceptions, communication

Abstract

This paper aimed to analyse the perceptions of university students in relation to the credibility of university instructors according to the tweets posted on their Twitter profiles and the academic motivation that these can generate. Thus, students' perceptions of teacher credibility are affected by what instructors post on their social media profiles. The participants in the study were 166 students from the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Seville, carried out using a quasi-experimental methodology for which three Twitter profiles for a university professor were created with professional, social and mixed content. For the analysis of the results, normality and homoscedasticity tests were carried out on the sample to decide which statistical tests to use. The most salient results indicated that students perceived the professional profile as more competent, more caring, and more trustworthy, followed by the mixed profile and, lastly, by the social profile. Positive correlations were also found between students who perceived the university professor as reflected in the professional profile as credible in their academic motivation. The findings and their practical implications for instructors are discussed in terms of how they can incorporate Twitter into their teaching, considering the needs of their students to enhance their learning.

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Fundref

This research was funded and supported as part of an Andalusian Autonomous Government ERDF R&D&I project (INV-2-2020-T-056) to promote intergenerational relationships via social networks within a European Union cofinancing framework, which links the reality of the young university population with older members involved in university programmes aimed at older groups.

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Technical information

Received: 23-09-2021

Revised: 19-11-2021

Accepted: 03-12-2021

OnlineFirst: 01-02-2022

Publication date: 01-04-2022

Article revision time: 57 days | Average time revision issue 71: 45 days

Article acceptance time: 71 days | Average time of acceptance issue 71: 70 days

Preprint editing time: 145 days | Average editing time preprint issue 71: 144 days

Article editing time: 190 days | Average editing time issue 71: 189 days

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