TEACHERS` PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOCIAL NETWORK FACEBOOK

The study of professional development of teachers in Facebook took place in three stages: 1) analysis of published literature on the topic using key concepts; 2) analysis of the materials placed in the network by the author’s friends, taking into account the set of goals for the professional development of the teacher; 3) a selective survey of the author’s friendships - university professors who voluntarily and spontaneously answered questions. The keywords for the search were selected based on the purpose of the article. The search was carried out in the form of queries into well-known academic databases. The analysis of selected literature indicated the professional goals of the teacher’s actions in Facebook, which can be assessed as contributing to his professional development: sharing Facebook resources; cooperation with fellow co-authors, other teachers; communication with friends and colleagues; participate in Facebook chats; feedback from students; emotional support of colleagues. At the second stage of the study, a semantic analysis of the materials published in the network by author’s friends-teachers for a certain period was used. Materials were ranked in accordance with the already formulated professional goals. At the third stage, the author conducted a survey of Facebook university teachers who have the status of friends. Respondents associate professional development with the following professional goals: 1) acquisition / sharing of resources, 2) cooperation with co-authors, 3) emotional communication with other teachers. Respondents pointed to the role of Facebook in overcoming isolation, which is characteristic of the profession of a teacher, and described this role as superior to traditional ways of professional development. Together, these methods have yielded quantitative and qualitative data on how and why the environment is used by teachers for professional development. The author hopes that the results reflect teachers’ preferences, but this research is not generalizing. An important problem awaiting solution is the ethical and confidential consequences of inviting colleagues to the interactive use of resources or personal materials. The study of the application of Facebook can be difficult, because the landscape of social networks is constantly changing (technical characteristics of Facebook, user habits). Therefore, this study, rather, is a snapshot of the opinions of university lecturers about Facebook for a certain period of time. It is concluded that Facebook is used to create professional communities and share resources within a less formal part of higher education, as well as a place for sharing practical advice, social and emotional support, hence this social network promotes the professional development of teachers. However, Facebook is not an instrument that guarantees professional development for any teacher since the moment the account was opened. REFERENCES

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