Education influencers 2022

Influencers in international education

Luke Walduck looks at the guidance shared by some of the latest influencers in international education, or ‘edruptors’, following a recent white paper published by ISC Research.

Edruptors of 2022

The international education social media influencers of 2022 have been announced by ISC Research, and, as per last year, it has caused quite a stir on social media!

42 educators and education professionals, and 10 organisations, are recognised as the 2022 Edruptors for their impact on the international education community through social media.

Research identifying the Edruptors involved the analysis of key social media channels that attract international education professionals. Through research platforms and tools, a set of metrics were identified to measure international education thought leaders with Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, who produce their own content on social media and whose posts are valued through reposts and shares.

In this year’s white paper, some of the Edruptors reflect on their social media experience, sharing what they have learned along the way, including the people and the hashtags they look to on social media for inspiration. They talk about the power of learning through social media networking, the factors that matter most for engagement and offer guidance to help other educators in their social media journey.

Ways to help your social media

The white paper is a helpful guide to using social media for educators around the world with some important messages from those who have gained a positive reputation. For any educators hoping to build their presence on social media, the common message from our research is to be authentic and use your professional voice. “You might not know the value of your own voice yet but know that your voice is important,” says, Liz Free, CEO and Director of the International School Rheintal in Switzerland.

Adam Hill, Foreign Principal at Victoria Park Academy in Hong Kong, expands on the idea of authenticity and attempts to share both the highs and the lows on his social media: “I share things that I’m struggling with, that I’m working on; it’s not just all the things that are going well, it’s more authentic and more of a process.”

To engage with peers around the world, Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Head of Humanities at St Christopher’s School in Bahrain, encourages educators of all levels to share content that you find interesting within your own subject or area of responsibility. “I share pedagogic resources, exerts from academia, take little videos of on-the-spot history when I’m on my holidays; they seem niche and anecdotal, but it’s what we’re all about,” he says.

Head of Computer Science and Awards Coordinator at Brighton College Bangkok in Thailand, Sunny Thakral, agrees, aiming to share content and resources to “enrich the experience for everybody else.”

Patrick sends a reminder to educators, and anybody working in a respected profession, to be mindful of the content you share. “We must remember that stakeholders such as parents, governors, the local community, perhaps even students, may see what you have put in the public domain. You are always an ambassador for education, for educators, your school, and your community, always. You can’t turn that on and off,” he says.

In the white paper, our Edruptors highlight the learning potentials of using social media in education. Liz Free encourages you to “think of yourself as both a mentor and a mentee” when using social media. Angeline Aow, Curriculum Coordinator at Berlin International School in Germany, agrees, believing she learns more than she contributes. However, she reminds users to “look at social media with a critical eye.”

‘Edruptors 2022: International Education Influencers of the Year’ includes Twitter and LinkedIn connections for all Edruptors. It is free to download from ISC Research here.

ISC Research supplies data, trends and intelligence on the world’s international schools market to help schools and those working in the international school sector with planning, development and strategy.

Luke Walduck is School Development Manager at ISC Research and previously led the Reports department. Luke works with international schools to leverage data to support admissions, recruitment, and school development in various ways.