Date of Award

Fall 2023

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Peter Moyi

Abstract

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.

Rights

© 2024, Charity Beth Simmons

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