Abstract:

Within the framework of a participation project, the communication department of the University College of Teacher Education in Lower Austria integrates students into its social media strategy. Specifically, individual students from the primary teacher training course take over the Instagram account of the university for a certain period of time. Within the framework of this "take-over", the students post from their everyday student life and interact with the followers.

From the point of view of the university, the aim is to increase the reach in the target group of potential interested parties by co-designing students. In addition, the "product awareness" of primary school teacher training is to be increased through authentic content and confidence is to be built up in the existing community, interest aroused and commitment increased.

For the students, participation in public relations offers the opportunity to reflect on the possibilities of media articulation. This has lasting consequences for the development of their self-perception as teachers: The creation of a public sphere with the possibility of media (self-)representation promotes a reflected and realistic assessment of one's own positions and scope for action.

Ultimately, the participation project contributes to the development of a new understanding of the roles of teachers and learners. In the role of the learners, the students experience the positive effects of creative participation and are thus to maintain this openness for the participation of their pupils later on as teachers.

The project is part of the module "Digital Media in Public Relations" with a focus on media pedagogy. At the end of the course the project will be evaluated in order to assess the learning effects for the students as well as the actual effects on the reach of the Instagram account and the commitment of the followers.

Keywords:

Participation, social media, teacher education, role of teachers, self-perception of teachers.