Social Media Content and Teacher Influencers: EFL Teachers' Perceptions and Attitudes

Social media, when used consciously and ethically, supports teachers’ professional identities and increases their participation in global learning communities. In the field of foreign language education, social media has made professional development more accessible for teachers, created new professional pathways, and supported the foundation of novel professional identities. One such identity is the “teacher influencer”: a teacher who creates and shares educational content on social media. This new aspect of professional identity enables teachers to shape their own public personas, create content, and interact with broad online communities. This mixed-methods study explored the perceptions and attitudes of pre- and in-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding teacher influencers and their educational social media content. The participants were 79 EFL teachers in Türkiye: 39 pre-service and 40 in-service teachers. Data were collected through an online questionnaire including closed- and open-ended questions. Closed-ended responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, whereas open-ended responses were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings showed that both groups of participants have a generally positive attitude towards educational content on social media. Findings also highlighted that pre-service EFL teachers show a comparatively higher interest and interact more with this type of social media content. Participants noted that social media offers opportunities in terms of professional development, sharing ideas, and motivation. Although they acknowledged the potential benefits, participants also mentioned some concerns regarding teacher influencers and their social media content. These concerns were about the quality of content, privacy, ethical principles, and the reputation of the profession. Moreover, both groups stated that they are reluctant to create educational content on social media.