54 engagement in class can benefit from social media implementation. This benefit was shown to be critically dependent
on the teachers in fulfilling their facilitating role, to influence behaviour and learning. As lecturers of the subject Ethno-pedagogy for Civic Education in 2014 Civic Education is compulsory subject
delivered across all levels of Education in Indonesia we sought to further develop the presentation of the subject this year to foster learners’ critical engagement by utilising social media to support face-to-face activities. Before
commencing, we sought to strategies to develop our professional practice from other’s experiences. In our professional reading we found that most studies of social media have been conducted within developed world contexts. Also in our
readings we became aware of Hofstede and Hofstede’s 2005 cross culture research shows that national cultures differ and that these differences have implications in behaviour relating to organisational and management strategies; and
Choi and Chung 2013 studies, that emphasising technology acceptance of social network sites as being largely dependent upon inter-relationships in the group. Therefore we combined learning from the readings with our personal
teaching experience and local cultural knowledge to shape our class communications. This paper reports on our class social media interactions and student reflections on these. We hope our studies can be beneficial to understanding
learners in our context and lead to better ethno-pedagogy practice.
II. M
ETHODS
The purpose of this study was to explore the use of social media tools to support face-to-face teaching and learning activities, in the university subject of Ethno-pedagogy for Civic Education. This subject is offered in the postgraduate
course of Civic Education at Indonesia’s Education University UPI. Before the start of the semester, we, the course lecturers were provided with the syllabus content areas of the registered university course. Usually subjects in this
course are delivered through face-to-face classes on campus. We however decided to trial use of social media to support and extend these face-to-face classes.
In developing our lesson plans and weekly activities, we developed themes and goals from the prescribed syllabus content areas. We sought to pair face-to-face class activities, based on these themes and goals, to capabilities available
in digital social media. A summary of the syllabus content, with lesson themesgoals; and digital capacities and strategies are presented in Table 1:
Appropriate class behaviours for both face-to-face and online interactions were developed in week 1 of Semester course, as a class. This included the setup of a class-closed group Facebook page, administration starting the page and
‘inviting’ members was handled by a student volunteer. Also student worked together on developing an informal code of conduct on what ‘a good learning community would look like, sound like and feel like’ as well as what ‘a bad learning
community would look like, sound lie and feel like’. This enable us to revisit when we we’re quite meeting these shared hopes.
Specific weekly content of the course was based on subject texts as prescribed in subject syllabus document and students were assigned to read the portions that corresponding with themes. Homework tasks were assigned to develop
ideas discussed in class. Posting of these ideas to the class Facebook page was directed to facilitate sharing to lead to both self-awareness and a sense of being known, as well as development of intercultural understandings. It was hoped
too that the joint undertaking of mutually informing and learning from one another would lead to a sense of community, inter-dependence, and a cooperation paradigm in the common goal of professional competency. Through participation
and immersion in learning activities, synchronisation of the above themes and syllabus content activities, we set out to enable the forming and consolidation of links between theory and practice, also a course goal and theme.
In order to study the use of the social media to support these course themes and goals, we considered that three research areas would be necessary. Firstly, class membership and interactions, secondly, student social media
experiences and thirdly, student development of lesson themes. We developed subgroups for exploration and data collection methods. These are presented with the purpose of collecting data in each research area, in table 2.
We developed a survey instrument, including open and closed questions, for students to make reflections about the use of the social media activities. Davis’ technology acceptance model was consulted in initial development of the
survey instrument as it has been noted in high validity 1989. However it is also noted the model doesn’t consider the variability of individual practice and study of the community is needed McFarland and Hamilton,2006. Therefore the
model’s factors of ‘perceived usefulness’ and ‘perceived ease of use’ along with lesson themes were used to develop questions within the survey instrument.
In studying class Facebook interactions and student survey responses relating to Facebook use, the study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse the strategies and activities we developed and trailed with our class.
This collection and analysis of data allowed the various social media strategiesactivities and interaction to be utilised to measureassess whether social media is beneficial in supporting teaching of Ethno-pedagogy for Civics
55 Education. This data puts the key learners at the centre of the study. Through studying their interactions and responses
we are able document the students ‘voices’ and experiences and student perspective on whether social media supported their learning.
Data Collection and Analysis
Data collection of the class social media interactions took place simultaneously to subject being taught within the Facebook group page. Data collection of the survey instrument took place after the subject was completed and grades
already assigned and received in order to eliminate competing interests student pressure to provide answers that they thought would affect their grade. Data analysis of both sets of data was undertaken together and organised according
to the research areas set and overviewed in Table 2. Collected data from the online survey tool was automatically loaded into a spreadsheet through the use of Google
drives. This was undertaken to provide easy access to the survey to student who had already dispersed during semester break, as well as enable the qualitative data to easily be made into statistical representations.
III. R
