The Role of Using Virtual Social Networks in the Professional Development of English Language Teachers

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of using virtual social networks in the professional development of english language teachers. The research method used in this research is descriptive and correlational. The study population included 170 english language teachers in the academic year 2017- 2018 in South Khorasan province. A total of 118 English language teachers were selected by stratified random sampling and was selected using the Morgan table. To collect data, two questionnaires were used: using social networking Shi and Partners (2014) and the Professional Development of Teachers Hosseini (2014). In order to analyze the data, the methods of statistical correlation, two-way ANOVA and stepwise regression analysis were used. The findings showed that there was a significant difference in the use of social networks with different educational levels (P<0.05); however, there was no significant difference in gender and interaction gender with the level of education in the use of social networks. The correlation between interactive use of social networks and professional development is negative and significant, and the interactive use of social networks explains a small percentage (0.07) of professional development. In general, the use of social networks does not predict the professional development of teachers; therefore, the inappropriate and non-targeted use of social networks reduces the professional development of teachers