ERIC Number: ED651314
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 192
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3822-9501-5
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Instructional Hub: Bridging the Gap in Teacher Preparation for Online Instruction
Charity Beth Simmons
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of South Carolina
In the spring of 2020, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) reached pandemic status in the United States, leading to extended educational disruption and posing significant obstacles for teachers who were unprepared to teach in a virtual environment. Educators adjusted curricular materials, delivery, and assessment methods to accommodate and engage students while maintaining academic objectives and minimizing stress. Few teachers in District 8705, South Carolina, had experience with distance instruction; thus, they had little to no adaptive knowledge on which to depend. The purpose of this dissertation was to find a solution that could significantly enhance teacher preparation for virtual teaching through more intensive academic support and professional development. The objective was to develop an instructional hub to enhance their self-efficacy in virtual instruction. This intervention was designed to offer comprehensive support and professional development, with the aim of improving teacher readiness for virtual teaching. Data collected through teacher surveys and empathy interviews informed three plan-do-study-act cycles from a phenomenological approach. The results of this improvement science action research suggest the instructional hub provided a strong basis for future learning opportunities. Introducing the hub as a professional development intervention demonstrated encouraging outcomes in tackling teachers' low self-efficacy. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: COVID-19, Pandemics, Educational Change, Distance Education, Online Courses, School Districts, Elementary Secondary Education, Self Efficacy, Empathy, Technological Literacy, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Teacher Surveys, Teacher Attitudes, Barriers, Teaching Methods, Faculty Development, Stress Management, Phenomenology, Action Research
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Carolina
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A