Professional Development at a Distance

Abstract

This paper uses a mixed-method approach to examine the efficacy of a 5-week distance learning model that offered 2-credit courses for K–12 inservice teachers as a form of professional development. This study examined the experiences of the inservice teachers across online professional development courses and analyzed participant surveys from this population to gain a better sense of satisfaction, learning, and quality of interactions related to the online professional development. The findings speak to the value of establishing a sense of “presence” online, the impact of online teacher professional development on the active classroom, and features that contribute to the enhancement of professional development online.

Keywords:

• Online professional development
• teacher education
• inservice teachers
• online presence