IJIET 2026 Vol.16(5): 1239-1244
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.5.2592
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2026.16.5.2592
Integrating Social Media into Professional Development: Evidence from Special Education Teachers in Palestine
Sahar Abu Shokhedim1 and Jamil Itmazi2,*
1. Faculty of Faculty of Humanities and Educational Sciences, An Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
2. Faculty of Engineering and IT, Palestine Ahliya University, Bethlehem, Palestine
Email: saharabushokeedem@najah.edu (S.A.S.); j.itmazi@gmail.com (J.I.)
*Corresponding author
2. Faculty of Engineering and IT, Palestine Ahliya University, Bethlehem, Palestine
Email: saharabushokeedem@najah.edu (S.A.S.); j.itmazi@gmail.com (J.I.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received September 2, 2025; revised September 29, 2025; accepted December 4, 2025; published May 15, 2026
Abstract—This study investigates the impact of social media in enhancing the professional proficiency of special education educators in Palestine. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research collected quantitative data through structured questionnaires administered to 66 educators and qualitative data via semi-structured interviews with 8 educators who had over 10 years of experience. The findings revealed that social media platforms contribute to professional development by enhancing communication, enabling resource sharing, and offering access to educational tools and professional networks. Teachers reported high levels of agreement across technological, professional, and cultural dimensions related to social media use. The study revealed no significant differences in perceptions across gender, academic qualifications, or experience, indicating a shared view of social media’s benefits. Interviews emphasized key advantages as well as challenges such as privacy concerns, content credibility, and limited training. The study recommends offering digital-literacy training, creating online professional communities, and improving institutional digital infrastructure to support ethical and effective use of social media in special education.
Keywords—social media, professional proficiency, special education educators, professional development, Palestine
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords—social media, professional proficiency, special education educators, professional development, Palestine
Cite: Sahar Abu Shokhedim and Jamil Itmazi, "Integrating Social Media into Professional Development: Evidence from Special Education Teachers in Palestine," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 1239-1244, 2026.
Copyright © 2026 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).