A social network analysis of teaching and research collaboration in a teachers' virtual learning community

Abstract

Analysing the structure of a social network can help us understand the key factors influencing interaction and collaboration in a virtual learning community (VLC). Here, we describe the mechanisms used in social network analysis (SNA) to analyse the social network structure of a VLC for teachers and discuss the relationship between face-to-face and online collaborations. In contrast to previous research applying SNA to analyse measuring indexes alone, we emphasise the mechanisms combining SNA, questionnaires, content analysis and focus group interviews - the key methodology to analyse complex interaction in a VLC. On this basis, we present an analysis model for teachers' VLC and apply it to a teachers' VLC known as 'IRIS'. The study participants comprised 172 K12 teachers aged between 25 and 55 years. This study collected collaboration data from 2006 to 2012 and analysed the social network structure using sociograms, centrality, cohesive subgroups, clique phenomenon, and matrix correlation of SNA. These findings suggest that face-to-face and online collaborations are both indispensable in teaching and in research and continuously supplement and remedy each other in professional development. Moreover, the model succeeded in accessing, describing and analysing the social network structure of a VLC.