Online Activities and Perceptions of SNS-Based Early Childhood Teacher Influencers

Objective: This qualitative study examined the social networking service (SNS) activity experiences and perceptions of early childhood education and care (ECEC) teacher influencers on Instagram. The research focused on their motivations for SNS engagement, content production, ethical considerations, community dynamics, and the integration of digital content into classroom practice.Methods: Using purposeful sampling, this study selected four ECEC teachers who produce original pedagogical content and have over 1,000 followers. Data were collected from January to April 2025 through three rounds of semi-structured in-depth interviews, supplemented by written questionnaire responses and analysis of 895 Instagram posts. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke (2006) thematic analysis framework.Results: Four key themes emerged. First, participants’ motivations encompassed self-documentation, professional identity formation, peer interaction, and career sustainability. Second, participants demonstrated active ethical awareness regarding copyright compliance, source attribution, and the use of children’s images. Notably, while sharing content freely with peers, participants concealed their accounts from institutional administrators, indicating that digital practices are shaped by organizational power dynamics. Third, Instagram functioned as a community of loose solidarity, fostering professional efficacy and reflective growth through reciprocal feedback beyond institutional boundaries. Fourth, participants engaged in deliberate curriculum reconstruction rather than mere replication, critically reinterpreting shared content in accordance with classroom contexts, children’s developmental levels, and personal educational philosophies.Conclusion: Instagram-based influencer activity represents an emerging form of teacher-driven curriculum construction. ECEC professional development programs should recognize digital practices as legitimate pedagogical work, while policy frameworks should support ethical practices and promote critical digital literacy.