Microlearning y performatividad docente en Instagram: Análisis comparativo de @mariaspeaksenglish y @carmenamoresrv

Bárbara  Caffarel-Rodríguez; Rita Oliva Gordillo

doi:10.65598/rps.6019

Authors

Bárbara Caffarel-Rodríguez Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, España https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2388-7623
Rita Oliva Gordillo Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, España https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5545-2898

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65598/rps.6019

Keywords:

Microlearning, Performativity, Media literacy, Instagram, Teachers Influencers

Abstract

This article offers a comparative analysis of the communicative, pedagogical, and emotional strategies used by two linguistic content creators on Instagram, María G. Durán (@mariaspeaksenglish) and the Cádiz-based Carmen Amores (@carmenamoresrv), understood as teacher-influencers operating at the intersection of media literacy, microlearning, and performativity on social media. The aim is to describe how they structure their short video capsules and which performative techniques they mobilise to sustain attention, build closeness, and foster learning. The sample comprises all educational Reels published by both creators during November 2025. A mixed, qualitatively oriented methodology is applied, combining content analysis, pedagogical–rhetorical analysis, and a descriptive reading of publicly available interaction metrics. The theoretical framework brings together critical media literacy, the dialogic pedagogy of Freire and Masterman, and current debates on microlearning and teaching performativity within influencer culture. The results reveal two differentiated models of teaching presence: María G. Durán produces highly crafted Reels, anchored in fan culture, that condense very specific microlearning objectives; Carmen, by contrast, produces a much larger volume of videos with a simple aesthetic and a conversational, reflective tone, where linguistic explanation is intertwined with literary references and carefully framed messages of emotional support. Taken together, the study shows that the combination of micro-level design, emotional labour, and performativity is key to understanding how these profiles configure new forms of teaching on algorithmic platforms.

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