ERIC Number: EJ1208818
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019
Pages: 22
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2374-1473
EISSN: N/A
Exploring the Concerns of Online K-12 Teachers
Farmer, Tadd; West, Richard
Journal of Online Learning Research, v5 n1 p97-118 2019
In this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study, we found that the experiences of online teachers are highly complex and individualized, and that the development of their concerns as teachers is largely unaffected by years of teaching experience. Because of the dramatic increase in online K-12 education, there is a need for additional research to understand evidence-based practices in online teaching. Few studies have attempted to capture the rich experience of online teachers through a careful analysis of their teaching concerns. In this study, educators from a large online K-12 institution were contacted via email and invited to participate. Final study participants were purposely selected to represent both new and experienced educators in order to understand the possible impact of teaching experience on the development of concerns. In total, seven educators were chosen to participate in two online video interviews and bimonthly journaling entries over a four-month period of time. These educators revealed numerous teaching-related concerns hereafter categorized by personal, instructional, and relational themes, along with categories found at the intersection of these three themes. The findings presented here encourage greater dialogue between teachers and organizational leaders to understand and mitigate the negative impact of these concerns.
Descriptors: Elementary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Online Courses, Distance Education, Teaching Experience, Teaching (Occupation), Occupational Aspiration, Teacher Certification, Time Management, Teacher Responsibility, Teacher Role, Grading, Technology Uses in Education, Computer Assisted Testing, Educational Quality, Open Enrollment, Student Placement, Teacher Student Relationship, Mentors
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 719, Waynesville, NC 28786. Tel: 828-246-9558; Fax: 828-246-9557; e-mail: info@aace.org; Web site: https://www.aace.org/pubs/jolr/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A