| Summary: | A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Masters in the Department of Communication Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. === Social media participation has spiraled exponentially and has transformed the way in which we communicate. It has opened up a new window which can maximise teaching and learning opportunities in the educational sector. However there are numerous challenges that public schools face when it comes to introducing and implementing technology but there is a need to overcome these barriers to develop and prepare educators and students at public schools for the 21st century. This thesis examines the relevance of social media in public schools. The first part of the study reviews literature on electronic communication, technology and its impact on society and education, challenges faced in educational technology, social media and programmes used in South African schools, Department of Education policies and procedures. Subsequent chapters describe the construction of a survey instrument employed to measure and evaluate the relevance of social media at public schools. The main tool for collecting data was the questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. A questionnaire provided appropriate information required for the research, as questions were asked to learners, educators and personnel from schools in Richards Bay and surrounding areas. Data analysis included using Moonstats to codify the data and graphs were imported to Microsoft Excel which was used for interpretation.Penultimate chapters blend the insights gained from the literature review to interpret the results obtained through the research methodology and to draw up recommendations and conclusions in the context of the relevance of social media in public schools.
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