School Advocacy and Community Outreach: Barriers to the Implementation of Social Media Tools for K-12 Principals

Abstract

This qualitative study describes, analyzes, and interprets the perceptions and beliefs related to barriers of the use and efficacy of social media tools for school advocacy and community outreach by principals in the kindergarten through 12th grade setting in one suburban district located outside of a major metropolitan center. School advocacy is the active process of communicating the vision, mission, and beliefs of the educational organization to the greater community that the school serves. Community outreach signifies the steps schools take to build and maintain strong partnerships with members of the community at large. To successfully advocate for the school and reach out to the community, principals must have strong communication skills and the tools to successfully convey their messages. Although a growing menu of social media tools are popular in modern society, and competition for students has increased with the proliferation of school choice, some practicing principals have reservations about implementing social media tools into their comprehensive communication plan. Four themes related to perceptions of barriers to implementation of social media tools emerged from semi-structured interviews with practicing principals. Issues of privacy, time and fidelity, choice of tools, and roles as school promoters were discussed as they related to the framework of social cognitive theory.