In-Service Teachers' Perceptions of K-12 Online Learning Curriculum in a Graduate Course

Abstract

While the number of K-12 students learning online continues to increase, the focus on online teaching is still absent in most teacher education programs. In this article, the authors examine the data from the fourth cycle of an action research project designed to examine K-12 online learning curricular materials at one Midwestern university. The learner-generated course data generated four themes: the benefits and challenges of K-12 online learning, success factors need for K-12 online learning, growing acceptance of K-12 online learning, and student self-efficacy for teaching online. Recommendations to improve the course based on the data and these themes included updating the Michigan-focused course readings, adding case studies related to overcoming student anxiety and issues often found in urban settings, and the creation/inclusion of some tool or instrument to measure learner readiness to teach online.

Is it Any Wonder, I Reject You First: Pre-Pandemic Perceptions of K-12 Online Learning

“…The third iteration was offered in a shortened summer term and allowed for adjustments in assignment requirements and blog post prompts (Barbour & Siko, 2020 ). During the fourth iteration, state-specific examples were included in the curriculum, mirroring TEGIVS to reflect how local onsite facilitators mediate student learning (Azukas & Barbour, 2021 ). In this iteration, in addition to the local facilitator scenarios, a series of case studies for the online teacher were developed based on Michigan examples (i.e., comparable to the ILO scenarios from previous iterations).…”