Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Leigh D’Amico
Abstract
Virtual education has transformed the educational landscape, eliminating the traditional constraints of students physically attending brick-and-mortar schools and adhering to a strict eight-hour school day. Students now have the option to learn from the comfort of their homes, either by participating in real-time instruction with their teachers and peers during synchronous learning or by working through digital content independently in an asynchronous setting. Both learning models require virtual teachers to possess a profound mastery of pedagogical, technological, and content knowledge to create and sustain a community of inquiry.
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many school districts to employ emergency remote learning without adequately preparing teachers to adapt their traditional pedagogical practices and content knowledge to their digital curricula, platforms, and other instructional tools and applications. This global crisis illuminated the urgent need for systematic, comprehensive, and job-embedded professional development to equip virtual instructors. Without adequate support, the educational system would continue to see declines in graduation rates and academic performance on state assessments in virtual schools.
The aim of this mixed methods intervention design was to investigate virtual teachers’ perceptions of high-quality learning and to identify the professional skills and training necessary to create and sustain student-centered, technology-rich, and academically rigorous learning environments. This study was grounded in the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework (Garrison, 2007) and the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework (Olofson et al., 2015). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through pre-intervention surveys, professional development interventions, teacher anecdotal notes using Nearpod reports, and a post-focus group survey. Findings emphasized the importance of targeted, ongoing in-service and professional development that bolsters teachers’ digital literacy, technology integration, discrete skills (such as managing the virtual class), and pedagogical strategies and approaches. This study supported the development of a comprehensive professional development plan designed to equip teachers with the essential skills to create high-quality learning environments for diverse learners.
Rights
© 2026, Erica Leshawn Edwards
Recommended Citation
Edwards, E. L.(2026). Comprehensive, Targeted, and Reflective Job-embedded Training: The Key To Creating and Sustaining High-quality Online Learning in Virtual Learning Environments. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8883