A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of Missouri K-12 Public School Educators' Expression Experiences on Social Media

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand how Missouri public school educators experience their expression regarding social media, seeking to understand their views and lived experiences with expressing themselves on social media. The theory guiding this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory as it explains the learned behavior of teachers exercising their agency through social media. The central research question for this study was, what are the lived experiences of Missouri K-12 public school educators regarding their expression on social media? This study examined the lived experiences of Missouri public school teachers, gaining an insight to teachers’ expression through social media, by employing individual interviews, analyzing sampled social media posts of participants, and focus groups. Participant responses were coded and textually described to offer a rich description of participants’ experiences with expression within social media. Using the noted coding methods, this study identified four main themes and 13 sub-themes among participants’ responses. The main themes of the study included self-censorship, hyper-fixation on audience, societal shifts towards social media, and avoidance of conflict. Additionally, numerous implications were identified, such as impacts to professional development, teacher preparation programs, and the development of personal litmus tests.