Abstract

Objective.  Social education is no stranger to the changes of today’s increasingly technological society. In this sense, this study aims to provide an updated overview of the the present status of the question, based on an international systematic review of the scientific literature in social education, key concepts (professionalization, identity, and professional development), and Web 2.0.

Methodology.  Qualitative research was conducted, based on a systematic review of international literature between 2012 and 2021. The study utilized the PRISMA-P tool as a reference, specifically by conducting a content analysis using Nvivo 12 Version Release 1.5 software. Among other strategies, the study conducted text searches and employed hierarchical maps and coding matrices. The final selection contained 22 articles that were reviewed and categorized from an inductive-deductive approach.

Results.  Social media have a notorious impact on fundamental aspects of social education such as professionalization, identity, and professional development. The study highlights the need for competence development of social educators for an ethical performance of their work in the virtual space.

Conclusion.  In today’s technologized society, the use of social media continues its exponential rise, and the profession of social education must also seek its place in the virtual environment, recognizing that the profession has to respond to a society in which the Internet is a communication space. In this sense, a wider definition of digital competencies in social education is advocated.

Keywords: Web 2.0; professional development; ethics; professional identity; social education.