A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study of School Administrators’ Participation in Personal Learning Networks and Privacy Issues

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand how school administrators made sense of their experience utilizing social networking tools to participate in personal learning networks (PLN) while managing privacy. As school administrators digitally collaborate with PLN colleagues, they must construct an online identity and develop and cultivate relationships. Additionally, to engage in a PLN one must decide how much information to disclose on the internet as well as determine methods to regulate online privacy. The potential impact of disclosing too much information could cause undue professional or personal harm against an individual. However, failure to disclose information to PLN members could negatively impact relationships and compromise others’ perception of trust. For this study, interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) methods were used with six educational administrators. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews; written documents of participants’ experience and perception of PLNs; and analysis of participants’ Tweets over a thirty day span. Interviews were analyzed according to a four-part analytical process. Written documents and Tweets were coded using enumerative and thematic data analysis methods. The findings of the study revealed three emergent themes that explained school administrators’ understanding of PLN participation and privacy issues, which were titled: (1) Must Share and Exchange Resources; Help Others Grow; (2) Power of the People; Personal and Professional Benefits, Powered by PLN; and (3) Privacy Should Not Be the Priority. The findings affirmed school administrators’ understanding of participating in a personal learning network utilizing social networking tools as being solely motivated by the sharing of information and resources, with little to no regard of privacy issues. The results of this study have implications for school leaders as well as digital learning community facilitators