The Impact of Social Media Platforms on Communication Development Between Schools and Parents
(A Qualitative Study of Teachers and Parents)
Keywords:
knowledge management, mobile devices, learning management system
Abstract
The use of social media and mobile communication technologies has revolutionised communication in education, especially in improving school-family engagement. This study aims to examine the role of social media platforms in enhancing the process of communication and knowledge sharing between teachers and parents in Angal Al-Safwa School, particularly the WhatsApp platform. The study examines the impact of digital platforms on the enhancement of information sharing, parental involvement, and home/ school partnerships. For an in-depth understanding of the experiences and perceptions of the participants, a qualitative research design was used.
The data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews with 30 respondents, comprising 16 teachers and 14 parents from the selected school. The interviews centred on the participants' perspectives on the effectiveness of social media to facilitate communication, to resolve issues in the traditional school system, and to improve knowledge management practices. Interviews were conducted in Arabic and then transcribed and translated into English, and then analysed based on thematic content analysis to find the common patterns and themes.
The results are anticipated to show that social media can help to communicate more quickly, enable greater involvement from parents and provide efficient knowledge transfer between schools and parents. The study helps in filling in the existing stream of research on digital communication in education and offers insights for educators who want to improve parent–teacher relationships using technology.
References
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21. Naidoo, L., Tan, L., and Wagner, S. (2025). Relational agency in practice: how migrant and refugee parents navigate digital learning in Western Sydney. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-16. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2025.2573826
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24. Owusu-Cole, C., Entsie, N. Y., Bosu, L., Akore Sarpong, E., and Kwadwo Mensah, E. (2025). Exploring educational technology dynamics: a dive into student engagement and educator empowerment. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2477366. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2477366
25. Pukada, M. A. H., and Satyawati, S. T. (2026). Development of a website-based participatory communication management system between schools and parents to enhance the effectiveness of educational collaboration in elementary schools. Al Qodiri: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial dan Keagamaan, 24(1), 325-338. https://al-qodiri.unikhams.ac.id/index.php/alqodiri/article/view/29
26. Purnama, Y., and Asdlori, A. (2023). The role of social media in students’ social perception and interaction: Implications for learning and education. Technology and Society Perspectives (TACIT), 1(2), 45-55. https://journal.literasisainsnusantara.com/index.php/tacit/article/view/50
27. Qudah, E. M., Otoom, A. O., Barsom, R. M. M., Obeidat, O. S., and Elkilany, A. M. (2024). The impact of using social media on communication between teachers, students, and parents, on achieving outstanding student performance, and on data confidentiality. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, 7(S7), 819. https://www.proquest.com/openview/006dd460b53f95e7e481c7c95782add4/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=6480378
28. Sahin, M. (2021). Social Media in the Eye of Parents. Education Quarterly Reviews, 4(3), 169-183. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1319335
29. Stepanova, N., Pletenytska, L., and Zakharina, T. (2023). The role of communication between parents and teachers in the implementation of electronic learning elements in secondary school. E-Learning Innovations Journal, 1(2), 21-38. https://el-journal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/4
30. Sunarso, B., Mahardhani, A. J., and Ausat, A. M. A. (2024). Analysis of social media usage in enhancing parental participation in child education. Jurnal Terobosan Peduli Masyarakat (TIRAKAT), 1(1), 1-9. https://journal.literasisainsnusantara.com/index.php/tirakat/article/view/100
31. Takona, J. P. (2024). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. Quality & Quantity, 58(1), 1011-1013. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11135-023-01798-2
32. Tan, W. (2022). Research methods: A practical guide for students and researchers. World Scientific.
33. Tisdell, E. J., Merriam, S. B., and Stuckey-Peyrot, H. L. (2025). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.
34. Urbina, S., Ferrer-Ribot, M., and Moral, S. V. (2025). School-family communication in early childhood education through digital tools. International Journal of Early Childhood, 1-18. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13158-025-00419-3
35. Weyant, E. (2022). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches: by John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell, Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2018, $38.34, 304pp. ISBN: 978-1506386706. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15424065.2022.2046231
2. Almahairah, M.S.Z. (2025) ‘The impact of using social media, WhatsApp and Facebook, on communication between teachers and students’ parents, student performance, and data confidentiality’, International Journal of Religion, 6(1), pp. 68–76. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/387964912_The_Impact_of_Using_Social_Media_Whatsapp_and_Facebook_On_Communication_Between_Teachers_and_Students'_Parents_Student_Performance_and_Data_Confidentiality
3. Ammirato, S., Linzalone, R. e Felicetti, A. M. (2021). Knowledge management in pandemics. A critical literature review. Knowledge Management Research & Practice, 19(4), 415-426. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14778238.2020.1801364
4. Anderson-Butcher, D., Bates, S., Lawson, H. A., Childs, T. M., and Iachini, A. L. (2022). The community collaboration model for school improvement: A scoping review. Education Sciences, 12(12), 918. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/12/12/918
5. Apps, T., Beckman, K., Pawlicka, N., and Kidson, P. (2025). The nature of connection: parents’ experiences with school social media. Learning, Media and Technology, 1-16. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439884.2025.2541714
6. Balalle, H. (2024). Exploring student engagement in technology-based education in relation to gamification, online/distance learning, and other factors: A systematic literature review. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 9, 100870. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291124000676
7. Baxter, G., and Toe, D. (2023). ‘Parents don’t need to come to school to be engaged: ’ teachers’ use of social media for family engagement. Educational Action Research, 31(2), 306-328. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09650792.2021.1930087
8. Bell, E., Harley, B., and Bryman, A. (2022). Business research methods. Oxford University Press.
9. Çalışkan, E. F. (2025). The Utilisation of Social Media for Educational Purposes by Primary School Teachers and Parental Involvement: Perceptions and Experiences. European Education, 57(3), 188-208. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10564934.2025.2529007
10. Carroll, M., Lindsey, S., Chaparro, M., and Winslow, B. (2021). An applied model of learner engagement and strategies for increasing learner engagement in the modern educational environment. Interactive Learning Environments, 29(5), 757-771. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10494820.2019.1636083
11. Chatzinikola, M. (2022). Communication management of parent participation in the education process: Practices of communication between teachers and parents. European Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 3(3), 1-6. https://www.eu-opensci.org/index.php/ejedu/article/view/30312
12. Daaboul, D. (2022). Expanding Parental Involvement in Education: How social media and online Communication affect the Family-School relationship. Special Education, 1(43). https://openurl.ebsco.com/not_found/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A159789935&crl=c&link_origin=scholar.google.com
13. Forbes, M. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1035719X211058251
14. Goet, J. (2022). Impact of social media on the academic performance of students. KIC International Journal of Social Science and Management, 1(1), 35-42. https://nepjol.info/index.php/kicijssm/article/view/51100
15. Gonzalez, F.U. (2020). Leveraging social media to Create Supportive Parental School Involvement. Building Bridges, Slovenia. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348277380_LEVERAGING_SOCIAL_MEDIA_TO_CREATE_PARENTAL_INVOLVEMENT_Leveraging_Social_Media_to_Create_Supportive_Parental_School_Involvement
16. Gonzalez-DeHass, A. R., Willems, P. P., Powers, J. R., and Musgrove, A. T. (2022). Parental involvement in supporting students’ digital learning. Educational Psychologist, 57(4), 281-294. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00461520.2022.2129647
17. Hornby, G., and Lafaele, R. (2023). Barriers to parental involvement in education: An explanatory model. In Mapping the field (pp. 121-136). Routledge.
18. Li, Y., and Rahman, M. N. B. A. (2025). Parental involvement in digital learning during elementary school education: A systematic literature review. European Journal of Education, 60(3), e70186. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ejed.70186
19. Lombardo, E., and Kantola, J. (2021). Social constructivism. In The Routledge Handbook of gender and EU Politics (pp. 43-55). Routledge.
20. Marikyan, D., and Papagiannidis, S. (2024). Technology acceptance model: A review. TheoryHub book. https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/302879
21. Naidoo, L., Tan, L., and Wagner, S. (2025). Relational agency in practice: how migrant and refugee parents navigate digital learning in Western Sydney. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 1-16. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2025.2573826
22. Ohara, M. R. (2023). The role of social media in educational communication management. Journal of Contemporary Administration and Management (ADMAN), 1(2), 70-76. https://journal.literasisainsnusantara.com/index.php/adman/article/view/25
23. Okela, A. H., Olatokun, W. M., Anumudu, C. E., Ziani, A., Nser, K. K., and Ben Lagha, F. (2025). Parental social media literacy antecedents and children’s digital media addiction: observations from two African countries. Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, 35(4), 685-700. https://www.emerald.com/cr/article-abstract/35/4/685/1250962/Parental-social-media-literacy-antecedents-and?redirectedFrom=fulltext
24. Owusu-Cole, C., Entsie, N. Y., Bosu, L., Akore Sarpong, E., and Kwadwo Mensah, E. (2025). Exploring educational technology dynamics: a dive into student engagement and educator empowerment. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2477366. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2477366
25. Pukada, M. A. H., and Satyawati, S. T. (2026). Development of a website-based participatory communication management system between schools and parents to enhance the effectiveness of educational collaboration in elementary schools. Al Qodiri: Jurnal Pendidikan, Sosial dan Keagamaan, 24(1), 325-338. https://al-qodiri.unikhams.ac.id/index.php/alqodiri/article/view/29
26. Purnama, Y., and Asdlori, A. (2023). The role of social media in students’ social perception and interaction: Implications for learning and education. Technology and Society Perspectives (TACIT), 1(2), 45-55. https://journal.literasisainsnusantara.com/index.php/tacit/article/view/50
27. Qudah, E. M., Otoom, A. O., Barsom, R. M. M., Obeidat, O. S., and Elkilany, A. M. (2024). The impact of using social media on communication between teachers, students, and parents, on achieving outstanding student performance, and on data confidentiality. Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, 7(S7), 819. https://www.proquest.com/openview/006dd460b53f95e7e481c7c95782add4/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=6480378
28. Sahin, M. (2021). Social Media in the Eye of Parents. Education Quarterly Reviews, 4(3), 169-183. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1319335
29. Stepanova, N., Pletenytska, L., and Zakharina, T. (2023). The role of communication between parents and teachers in the implementation of electronic learning elements in secondary school. E-Learning Innovations Journal, 1(2), 21-38. https://el-journal.org/index.php/journal/article/view/4
30. Sunarso, B., Mahardhani, A. J., and Ausat, A. M. A. (2024). Analysis of social media usage in enhancing parental participation in child education. Jurnal Terobosan Peduli Masyarakat (TIRAKAT), 1(1), 1-9. https://journal.literasisainsnusantara.com/index.php/tirakat/article/view/100
31. Takona, J. P. (2024). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approach. Quality & Quantity, 58(1), 1011-1013. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11135-023-01798-2
32. Tan, W. (2022). Research methods: A practical guide for students and researchers. World Scientific.
33. Tisdell, E. J., Merriam, S. B., and Stuckey-Peyrot, H. L. (2025). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.
34. Urbina, S., Ferrer-Ribot, M., and Moral, S. V. (2025). School-family communication in early childhood education through digital tools. International Journal of Early Childhood, 1-18. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13158-025-00419-3
35. Weyant, E. (2022). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches: by John W. Creswell and J. David Creswell, Los Angeles, CA: SAGE, 2018, $38.34, 304pp. ISBN: 978-1506386706. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15424065.2022.2046231
Published
2026-02-28
How to Cite
Abdulelah H. Alshehri. (2026). The Impact of Social Media Platforms on Communication Development Between Schools and Parents: (A Qualitative Study of Teachers and Parents). Journal of Arts, Literature, Humanities and Social Sciences, (129), 292-309. https://doi.org/10.33193/JALHSS.129.2026.1667
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Copyright (c) 2026 Abdulelah H. Alshehri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
