(2016) Science and education, 7, 99-105. Odessa.

Mariia Kanibolotska,
PhD (Candidate of Psychological Sciences),
researcher of the Institute of Social and Political Psychology,
National Academy of Educational Sciences of Ukraine
15, Andrііvska Str., Kyiv, Ukraine

THEORETICAL GROUNDS OF STUDYING SOCIAL NETWORKS IN THE CONTEXT
OF SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL INNOVATIONS

The field of education nowadays is being in the center of transformational processes. The proper maintenance of educational innovations can be ensured by taking into consideration public opinion, as well as investigation of the attitude of stakeholders (teachers, parents, students) towards these innovations. Transformational processes are carried out through information technology that actualizes the examination of its role and prospects of usage in the context of educational realities. New technologies of the formation and consolidation of public opinion, particularly social networks as a socio-psychological technology that supports educational innovations are examined in the article. Due to the fact that the issue of network technology in the educational system is not sufficiently studied, the aim of the article is to review the foreign and native experience of promotion and socio-psychological support of educational innovations by means of social networks. The results of the research show that modern channels of information are more effective than traditional ones in terms of having greater impact on public opinion through public involvement in the assessment of social events, as well as making socially important decisions. Among the benefits of using social media as a tool for the promotion of educational innovations are the following: the availability and the opportunity to spread information quickly to the community, to influence the perception of the image of reforms and the attitude towards them, to actualize the interactive side of the communication between stakeholders and beneficiaries in real time, to improve the degree of involvement of citizens in the process of educational innovation and to promote horizontal communication between educators and governmental authorities. Basing on theoretical analysis of foreign and native experience of social networks usage in the context of educational innovation it has been determined that such characteristics as dialog, social support, sense of community and belonging, control of the situation, the effect of emotional contagion are decisive in the understanding of social networks as technology of social-psychological support of educational innovations. 

education, educational innovations, information technologies, socio-psychological support, social networks, networking technologies.

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