Social Media as Tools for Pastoral Care

Postgraduate Certificate in Education Post-Compulsory Education and Training.

UTXGTJ-30-M Curriculum, Context and Sustainable Learning Communities.
Student no: 13006782











University of the West of England, June 2014 Word count 3,832
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ 1
AUTHORS DECLARATION ...................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER ONE: AIMS AND PURPOSE
1.1 - AIMS AND PURPOSE OF RESEARCH ............................................................ 4
1.2 - RESEARCH QUESTION ................................................................................... 5
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 - THE POWER OF THE INTERNET .................................................................... 6
2.2 - SOCIAL MEDIA PENETRATION AND THE AGE DIVIDE ...................... 7
2.3 - THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION .................................... 8
2.4 - ONLINE COMMUNICATION AND ANONYMITY .................................... 9
2.5 - PASTORAL CARE ................................................................................ 10
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.1 - DESIGN & METHODS .......................................................................... 11
3.2 - PARTICIPANTS .................................................................................... 13
3.3 - ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS .............................................................. 14
3.4 - RELIABILITY & VALIDITY ..................................................................... 15
CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
4.1 - DEFINITIONS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ....................................................... 16
4.2 - CURRENT USAGE IN COLLEGE AND THE AGE DIVIDE ................... 17
4.3 - SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF SUPPORT ............................................... 18
4.4 - THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE ................................................................. 19
4.5 - SHARING SENSITIVE INFORMATION ONLINE .................................. 20
4.6 ANONYMITY AND DISINHIBITION ...................................................... 21
4.7 - PEER PASTORAL CARE ...................................................................... 22
4.8 - EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY CONSIDERATIONS ............................... 23
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER
RESEARCH ............................................................................................................. 24
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 26
APPENDICES .......................................................................................................... 28
GLOSSARY OF TERMS & ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................... 31
1
Abstract
Social media and digital technologies continue to increase in both their capabilities,
and the extent of their adoption. This study provides an insight into the attitudes of
further education staff and learners towards using these tools for pastoral care. This
research identifies some of the opportunities and challenges that using social media
for pastoral care might bring.
In order to understand the current role of technology in education, and the inherent
advantages of disadvantages of using these technologies pastorally, relevant
academic literature is reviewed and assessed. In addition to this, primary research is
conducted, in which conversations from focus groups with staff and learners are
analysed.
This study concludes that social media offer a number of opportunities to learners,
though any college-wide adoption of these tools pastorally would need to afford
learners the ability to tailor their own experience of pastoral care by communicating
using the communication tool of their choosing; be it Facebook, Twitter, or video-
based applications. The anonymity afforded to students presents a somewhat
difficult dilemma; many learners feel this allows them to share sensitive information
more freely, whilst staff suggest it may make the tools vulnerable to abuse.
As many learners would not feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues via any
methods other than face-to-face communication, social media should be a tool
through which learners can book or arrange face-to-face meetings with pastoral staff,
with the options of conducting follow-up meetings exclusively on social media.
2
If social media is to be successfully incorporated into the pastoral care services,
there must be an official college-wide policy for using these tools in place. Such a
policy would help to settle many of the anxieties shared by staff regarding using
these tools, and the potential increase in workload that their introduction might bring.


3
Authors Declaration
I declare that the work in this project was carried out in accordance with the
regulations of the University of the West of England. The word is original except
where indicated by special reference in the text and no part of this project has been
submitted for any other degree.
Any views expressed in this project are those of the author and in no way represent
those of the University of the West of England. This project has not been presented
to any other University for examination either in the United Kingdom or overseas.

Daniel Cranney
Date: 07/06/14
Student no: 13006782 4
Chapter One - Aims and Purpose
1.1 Aims and Purpose of Research
The primary aim of this research is to gain an insight into the attitudes of further
education (FE) learners and staff towards social media (SM) tools, and their pastoral
uses. This research looks to understand how SM is used in education and pastoral
care (PC) at the present time, and to undercover some of the opportunities and
challenges that SM might present. It is hoped that some advances will also be made
in understanding why many FE educators and institutions are hesitant to adopt these
tools in the classroom, or pastorally.
Finally, this research aims to highlight some of the ethical difficulties that using SM
might present, in order to try and pre-empt them ahead of any adoption of SM into
one particular colleges pastoral system.

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1.2 Research Question
The question at the core of this project is what are the challenges and opportunities
regarding the use of SM pastorally in education? This report also looks to discuss
how students and staff feel about communicating via SM. It is the general contention
of the researcher that SM tools have inherent advantages and disadvantages that
must be investigated before utilising them pastorally.
Student no: 13006782 6
Chapter Two - Literature Review
2.1 The Power of the Internet
Everything is changing - you, your family, your neighbourhood (sic), your
education, your job, your government () (and) they're changing dramatically
(McLuhan and Fiore, 1967, p.8).
Intellectual Marshall McLuhans statement regarding the transformative power of
technology was undeniably prophetic; though, writing in 1967, he knew nothing of
the Internet or the impact it would come to have on modern life. Throughout history,
major developments in communication technology have brought profound changes
to society, with every social institution - education included - affected as a result
(Shirky, 2008). The importance of understanding the opportunities and risks that
these changes may bring - and the importance of harnessing the power of new
technologies - is clear when we consider that the law of accelerating returns
(Kurzweil, 2005) indicates technology is developing exponentially, and the impact
and frequency of new technological developments will continue to increase.

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2.2 Social Media Penetration and the Age Divide
Social networks have moved from niche phenomenon to mass adoption (Gross &
Aquisti, 2005 cited in De Souza and Dick, 2008, p.144), growing and evolving
throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century. This growth has run parallel to
- and mutually benefited - the mass adoption of smart mobile telephones, with SM
transforming from something to do in your spare time to an integral part of daily life
(Gefter, 2006 cited in De Souza and Dick, 2008, p.144).
Internet technologies now permeate the lives of many teaching and learning in FE,
with less than 1 per-cent of 16-24 year-olds not having used the Internet, a number
that rises to just 9 per-cent when considering 16-64 year-olds (Office for National
Statistics, 2013, p.33). Reports do, however, suggest, age has a sizeable effect on
an individuals likelihood (of going online) (Office for National Statistics, 2013, p.3),
with an individuals socioeconomic status considered a significant factor in this
equation, too (National Audit Office, 2012).
Statistics regarding smartphone penetration amongst teenagers show a dramatic
increase in recent years, with reports showing forty-seven per-cent penetration in
2011 (Ofcom, 2011, [online), and eighty-five per-cent in 2013 (Orange, 2013, [press
release]), evidence of a continued decrease in the digital divide.

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2.3 The Role of Technology in Education
Academics such as Thomas Frey (2007) suggest that education is in a
transformative phase that will result in a shift away from teacher-led delivery,
towards student-focused learning; a change driven in large part by technological
developments. This techno-optimistic view suggests SM inherently encourage
collaboration and co-operation (Rheingold, 2004; Rheingold, 2005; Surowiecki,
2004), and are consequently changing the role of teachers from that of experts to
coaches, and students from recipients of information to sharers of knowledge (Frey,
2007).
Education Secretary Michael Gove has echoed similar sentiments, claiming
government education reforms regarding technology were made to help create an
education system open to innovation, which can use technology creatively to
advance learning (Gove, 2014, [speech]). Such tasks are high on the International
academic agenda, too, with a 2011 survey of more than 2,500 chief academic
officers in the United States finding that 65 per-cent view online learning as a critical
part of their long-term strategy (Bell & Federman, 2013, p.166) and an integral part
of modern education.

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2.4 Online Communication and Anonymity
While many new technologies lend themselves to education, the online anonymity
they afford users is at the core of this discussion. In particular, we must understand
what effect having anonymity while using SM might have on SM communication.
Suler (2006) notes that Internet users say and do things in cyberspace that they
wouldnt ordinarily (p.321) and loosen up, feel less restrained, and express
themselves more openly (Ibid.). This phenomenon can be referred to as the online
disinhibition effect (Suler, 2006). Suler notes, however, this effect can manifest itself
in two very different ways; Anonymous acts of kindness or altruism online
exemplifying benign disinhibition, and in contrast toxic disinhibition is evidenced in
users behaving threateningly, harshly criticising others, trolling, or using foul or
offensive language. Even so, disinhibition is neither decidedly positive nor negative
due to the cultural relativity as well as the complexities of psychological dynamics
(Ibid., p.321). This is to say that anonymous online communication has great benefits
and noteworthy disadvantages, and it is difficult to predict beforehand which turn an
online interaction will take.

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2.5 Pastoral Care
When considering what effect the act of communicating via SM might have on PC, it
is fair to suggest that the status imbalance that might exist or develop in a
relationship between pastoral staff member and student is minimised by
communicating online (Suler, 2006, p.345) due to learners feeling disinhibited.
With this in mind, we must consider what effect anonymity and disinhibition can have
on the effectiveness of PC. Seminal psychology academic Carl Rogers (1959 cited in
Mills, 2011) pointed to six conditions that must be satisfied for a therapeutic
relationship to exist; the most important of which is that client and staff must be in
contact (face-to-face or otherwise). This suggests that the mode of communication is
somewhat irrelevant, so long as both parties can communicate. It is however, at this
point still unclear as to what extent the conditions can truly be met with the same
degree of effectiveness when communication takes place online.

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Chapter Three - Methodology
3.1 Design and Methods
Epistemologically, this research is founded on the logic that discussions with
students and staff who have experience of PC will produce valid and meaningful
data regarding how pastoral services might be improved. Moreover, this research
operates under an interpretivist paradigm. This is to say that this investigation hopes
to understand the world of human experience (Cohen & Manion, 1994, p.36),
however due to the uniqueness of the lives and experiences of the participants, the
conditions of this project are difficult to replicate.
Nonetheless, the qualitative research methods used allow us to explore the depth
and range of opinions and attitudes towards the topic of SM (Gaskell, 2000). This is
a significant advantage to using qualitative methods, and is well suited to the aims of
this research. Alternatives, such as quantitative methods, merely allow the
researcher to tally the number of individuals that hold a particular view, and would
produce only superficial results.
Two focus groups (FGs/FG) were conducted at the college this research was carried
out in; the first with five learners (Learner A-E), and the second with five staff
members (Staff A-E). This allowed participants the opportunity to thoroughly express
their thoughts and opinions, and discuss them with others. An approach this loosely
structured allows the researcher to encourage learners to elaborate more upon
particularly interesting or useful insights. What is more, this approach helps
overcome the ethical sensitivities of observing the behaviour of young people on SM;
research that would serve to simply outline how learners use SM, rather than why
they use it the way they do.
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In order to analyse the data obtained and produce meaningful results, a basic
qualitative analysis approach to data interpretation will be adopted. Common themes
will be identified in the transcripts of the conversations from the FGs in order to
organise the insights given by participants into a logical and well-founded discussion.

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3.2 Participants
Purposive sampling was used, though the criteria for each group was, for obvious
reasons, different; Staff were selected if they engaged in PC in their role, and
learners were chosen based on their experience of receiving PC at college. This is
an appropriate sampling technique for a study such as this that expects to solve
qualitative problems, such as discovering what occurs, the implications of what
occurs, and the relationships linking occurrences (Honigmann, 1982 cited in
Merriam, 2009, p.77).
The groups are not representative of the entire college population, nor are they
representative of the wider population, though it is believed that the insights from a
sample of this kind are more meaningful due to their understanding of pastoral
processes. The FG sessions were semi-structured (Appendix 1), and thirty minutes
in length. When facilitating FGs of this kind, the researcher must be cognisant of
their influence on the group dynamic, and the potential for demand characteristics.
Whilst FGs afford the opportunity to explore attitudes towards a topic in detail, care
was taken to create as representative a sample as possible, so as not to skew
results by design.

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3.3 Ethical Considerations
The British Educational Research Associations ethical guidelines (2011, [pdf]) are
the ethical framework used for this project. As half of the participants are considered
minors due to being under eighteen years old, consent forms (Appendix 2) were
required to be signed by parents, carers and guardians, before the research begun.
Additionally, the experimenter considered it of the utmost importance that
professional boundaries were strictly maintained, and learners identities were
protected.
Learners and staff were briefed as to the objectives of the study, informed of their
right to withdraw, and reassured of their anonymity. However, they were not
informed until a one-to-one de-briefing session following the focus group activity that
they been selected due to their experience of PC. Whilst it is ethically preferable to
fully inform students when gaining consent, this decision was made to minimise the
risk of learners feeling different in any way from the general college population.

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3.4 Reliability and Validity
The selective, purposive method of participant sampling used in this project affords it
some validity, however is detrimental to the reliability of the results produced. The
familiarity of each participant with PC means their contributions are informed by
experience, so are assumed to be of great value.
Even so, the subjective nature of participants contributions - and the individual
differences between them - mean that if this research were to be repeated, the
results may differ greatly as the conditions would be difficult to replicate. We should
also consider that one danger of communicating in a small group is that some
participants may not voice their opinions if they do not fit the norm of the group.

Student no: 13006782 16
Chapter Four - Discussion and Analysis of Results
4.1 Definitions of Social Media
Both groups produced remarkably similar definitions, stating that SM allows many-to-
many communication and helps individuals connect with one another via the
Internet. Examples noted by participants include Facebook, Twitter, and photo-
sharing platform Instagram.

Student no: 13006782 17
4.2 Current Usage in College and the Age Divide
Whilst learners affirm Gefters (2006, cited in De Souza and Dick, 2008) assertion
that SM is now an integral part of daily life, they stressed there was some still some
disparity between the significant role SM plays in their lives outside of college, and
its relatively minor use in college. Furthermore, participants were in consensus that
to their knowledge SM is not currently used in any way pastorally in college.
Learners stated that the majority of their teachers do not use SM at all, but noted that
the age and experience of staff influences their use of SM, inline with Office for
National Statistics (2013) data regarding the impact of age on the digital divide;
Young ones () get it more () Some older staff probably dont want to ()
change how they do things. () Young ones that are like thirty or something
use new media () (but) I think most of the (pastoral staff) is older, too, so
they dont get it (Learner B).
Both academic and pastoral staff members agreed with this view in part, however
suggested that age was but one of numerous contributing factors. Staff felt that their
busy schedules and demanding workload did not allow them time to explore SM
tools and experiment with them, and so more tried-and-tested methods are
necessary. Additionally, pastoral staff noted that a lack of an official college policy
towards using social media (Staff B) or adequate staff training regarding SM means
that they neither feel supported or encouraged to use SM, resulting in having very
little drive to use them when management is content (Staff C).
Learners, however, did stress that teachers and staff who do not use SM do still give
assistance by other means, but their help is more difficult to obtain, and less
frequent.

Student no: 13006782 18
4.3 Supply and Demand of Support
Discussions revealed there is a significant disparity between the demand for care
required by students, and the supply that staff will provide at this time. Learners state
that only being able to access pastoral services during college hours - and having to
physically travel to meet pastoral staff - could be resolved by an online
communication system. When reminded email was a current option students said
they felt this was insufficient as they do not access their student emails regularly as
they had very little reason to bother (Learner C). Staff, too, support this;
Staff frequent the college email systems more often than students () mostly
contacting other staff. Students talk more on social media; They feel at home
there (Staff D).

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4.4 The Work-Life Balance
Though learners acknowledged that SM allows quick and easy (Learner C),
instantaneous, 24-hour communications, staff were decidedly less enthused by this
fact. Many felt it could blur the boundary between their personal and professional
lives, and place greater demands on them outside of office hours. Moreover, a pay
raise would not likely accompany this inevitable increase in responsibility (Staff C),
and thus their jobs could become more stressful as a result of any official adoption of
SM.

Student no: 13006782 20
4.5 Sharing Sensitive Information Online
Though adoption and use of SM amongst young people of college-age is extremely
high - and most are digital natives - surprisingly, some learners felt that SM were not
appropriate for discussing sensitive issues;
If youre dealing with a serious topic, and then youre just Facebooking it, it
(...) takes away from the point that its serious. I wouldnt want to talk about
something thats making () me upset, () on Facebook. I want to know and
meet the person first (Learner C).
Many learners felt that online communication was not sincere (Learner A), or
lacked physical things like body language (Learner C), allowing for a great deal of
misinterpretation and confusion, and thus less effective support. Several learners felt
that a suitable compromise was to use SM to arrange physical meetings, with the
possibility of using SM for follow-up appointments, once the offline relationship had
been established.
Conversely, other learners felt that when physical communication is removed its
less stressful than face-to-face (Learner E). For some, the depth and sincerity
relationship is not a necessity for a therapeutic relationship to develop and succeed;
I would just want () someone to cheer me up and give me a hand.
Sometimes I dont want them to know who I am () but just to listen (Learner
D).

Student no: 13006782 21
4.6 Anonymity and Disinhibition
Both staff and students expressed awareness and experience of Sulers (2006)
benign and toxic disinhibition. Moreover, the majority of participants put forward both
privacy and anonymity as concerns. When asked about how anonymity might alter
how people use SM tools, learners felt it removed accountability and thus allowed
some to be nasty () because nobody knows who they are, or where. They can
() be someone else and get away with it (Learner B). Staff shared similar
anxieties, concerned about protection of services from trolls, and from abuse (Staff
B), with one even going so far as to suggest that an online pastoral system might
allow the most poorly behaved learners to abuse the system and staff without
consequence (Staff D).
It is noteworthy that one learner emphasised a necessity for anonymity in order for
them to even consider using such tools. This learner shared that they had been
bullied via SM in the past, and so feared that information that could be tied to them
might be used as a weapon if the wrong person got hold of it (Learner A).
Furthermore, this learner felt that video communications via platforms such as Skype
would be just a tense as talking face-to-face (Learner A), though learners do note
that this tool empowers learners with the ability to exit or end the conversation
instantly; a power simply not available in face-to-face interactions.

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4.7 Peer Pastoral Care
Learners sentiments very much correspond with those of Frey (2007), Rheinhold
(2004, 2005) and Surowiecki (2004) in that they give great value to peer-assisted
learning and collaboration.
All of the students questioned are members of class-specific Facebook groups,
where they communicate with peers and teachers. For most, two parallel versions of
each group exist, only one of which is visible to teaching staff. Learners stress that
these groups form the basis of their peer support systems, as learners use the
groups to share useful or humorous materials with one another, and ask questions of
their peers. Learners feel this reduces the stress of contacting the teacher, and
asking them a stupid question (Learner B), and many feel it is better to ask
(peers) first as theyll probably get back to you quicker than the teacher will (Learner
E).
The pastoral benefits of this do not go unnoticed either, as the learners unanimously
agree that these groups have helped to ease the stress of college life, with help
ranging from misplaced assignment briefs during holiday breaks, to learners helping
each other out with money and problems at home (Learner C). Staff passionately
support peer-PC through these groups, and feel they free up the pastoral services
staff () to deal with the more serious, majorly-life-affecting issues that some
learners have (Staff D).
Whilst peer support is surely beneficial, however it must be noted the six conditions
required for a therapeutic relationship cannot be guaranteed given that the vast
majority of the group will not have been trained, and thus are unlikely to show
Student no: 13006782 23
unconditional positive regard for those requiring support; just one of the six
conditions.

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4.8 Equality and Diversity Considerations
Additionally, learners made note of the fact that there is a need for pastoral staff to
be well trained regarding equality and diversity issues. Whilst staff did note that they
have all been provided with such training, they stressed a need for regular revision
sessions as they often cannot remember many of the details (Staff E) taught to
them, and find supporting BME learners more challenging due to often not
understanding the minor nuances of different cultures (Ibid.). Students echo such
sentiments, stating that;
(Whilst) support in the past has been good, no one has ever really () known
about my (Islamic) beliefs () I have to explain it every time. () I would also
really need to know if I was talking to a male or a female, and if they
understand my religion. (Student E)


Student no: 13006782 25
Chapter Five Conclusions and Recommendations
5.1 Conclusions and Recommendations for Further Research
This research has identified a number of potential opportunities for using SM in PC,
along with numerous challenges, too. Firstly, for any college-wide pastoral adoption
of SM to be a success, there is an immediate need for specific training using these
tools, particularly for pastoral staff. The lack of education and familiarity with using
these tools and official college policy regarding their use - means that many staff
members are simply unable to engage with SM, even if they may wish to.
It in the recommendation of the researcher that college management must make an
overt and official commitment to these tools if they are to be used to any significant
extent. Staff suggest that such a commitment would afford them the time they need
to use these tools; time that it is simply not available to them with the present
system.
It is not deemed appropriate for any SM-based pastoral services to require users to
use their real name in order to access them, though in the interests of student
tracking, students should be encouraged to reveal their real name to pastoral staff,
but this should not be compulsory. In the interests of responsible data protection,
learners who do opt to give their real names should be afforded a certain degree of
anonymity by default, in so far as their real name should be recorded in an offline
system (ie: non computer-based) so that the learners can be traced to a pseudonym,
but their sensitive data is still protected from immediate online privacy threats.
All participants were wholeheartedly in support of using SM to book pastoral
sessions, and college staff should explore this as a possibility. Such a system should
Student no: 13006782 26
allow users the possibility to select one of many options for the type of PC they wish
to receive, based on their needs and preferences; ranging from text-based and
Facebook messaging,, to video calling. A range of options allows students to tailor
their pastoral experience, and communicate in the way they find most convenient or
comfortable.
When considering introducing a SM based pastoral service system, it is important to
remain cognisant of the changing requirements placed upon staff. Pay and staff
benefits should be considered if an increase in workload results, and threats to
staffs work-life balance should be weighed against the benefit to students.
Finally, this research has revealed a need for more in-depth, regular training
regarding equality and diversity for pastoral staff. Whilst basic training equips staff
with some superficial knowledge of different cultures, customs and special education
needs (SENs), staff should be encouraged to specialise in different cultures and
areas of SEN so that the support they offer is informed by a deep understanding of
the lives of those to whom the help is to be given. Moreover, learners should be able
to choose the gender of their pastoral staff contact.
Further research in this area could include the creation or design of a PC app or
computer program. Moreover, research could look to identify effective ways of
incorporating SM into pastoral services, to understand how best to utilise the
technology available.
27
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Semi-Structured Focus Group Questions
These questions were used as an aid in the focus groups, and a general skeleton for
the conversation. Even so, both conversations touched upon a number of subjects
not listed below.
How would you define social media?
What is your understanding of 'pastoral care'?
If at all, how do you use social media in your education?
Can social media be used pastorally?
Do you think more or less use of social media needed in college?
Do you think it would help, or hinder you in your education/ability to give
pastoral care?
Can you think of any downsides to this?


30
Appendix 2



CONSENT FORM
Title of Project: An investigation into social media as tools for pastoral care.
Name of Researcher: Dan Cranney
Please initial all boxes
1. I confirm that I have read and understand the attached information sheet
for the above study. I have had the opportunity to consider the
information, ask questions and have had these answered satisfactorily.
2. I understand that participation in this study is voluntary and that
participants are free to withdraw at any time. No reason for withdraw is
required and medical and/or legal rights remain unaffected.
3. I understand that contributions from participants will be recorded in audio
format for the purposes of analysis. Individuals will remain anonymous
and information will not be passed on to any third party.
4. I agree to give consent for the participant named below to take part in this
study.



Name of Student


Parent / Carer Date Signature

31
Appendix 2 (contd)

STUDY INFORMATION SHEET
Title of Project: An investigation into social media as tools for pastoral care.
Name of Researcher: Dan Cranney
Researcher Contact: Dan.Cranney@SGScol.ac.uk
The aim of this research project is to understand the effectiveness of social media
platforms (eg: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) as tools for pastoral care at South
Gloucestershire and Stroud College.
As part of this study, two focus groups will be conducted. One focus group will
comprise of approximately 6-8 students, and the other will feature members of staff.
These informal, group discussions will last between twenty and thirty minutes, and
will be held at the Wise Campus on Wednesday April 30
th
2014. In these focus
groups, students and staff are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions on
social media in general, how these social media tools are currently used in college,
and how they could be better utilised in future to offer pastoral support in the learning
environment.
It is hoped that these conversations will identify some new opportunities for ways
that social media could be integrated into the pastoral care system at SGS College,
in order to offer students effective support during their time at college.
The audio from the focus groups will be recorded for the purposes of analysis, and
both students and staff are free to withdraw at any stage of the research process.
Moreover, these audio recordings and the research report that will subsequently be
produced - will be made available to participants and/or parents, carers and
guardians upon request. All participants will remain anonymous throughout this
project.
Participation in this study is greatly appreciated, and the researcher can be
contacted at the email address given at the top of this page if you wish to ask any
questions or have any concerns about this project. Furthermore, a contact telephone
number is available upon request.
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Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
Term /
Abbreviation
Definition
BME Black minority ethnic
Digital natives Individuals who were born subsequent to the invention and mass-
adoption of the Internet.
FE Further education
FG / FGs Focus group / focus groups
PC Pastoral care
SM Social media
Smartphone Mobile telephones with Internet capabilities.
Trolls Internet users who deliberately provoke others online, or purposely
share false information.