Perceptions of preparedness for online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a graduate of an education program at a university in the Midwest

Abstract

This study examined how prepared teachers felt when shifting to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The teachers were graduates of an education preparation program at a small private Midwestern University. We constructed a questionnaire to measure the graduates’ perceptions of preparation in online teaching, as well as their experience of online teaching during the pandemic. The graduates reported the importance of university faculty modeling the use of online tools, effective course management and virtual teaching strategies to preservice teachers, as well as having the opportunity to take a course focused on teaching in virtual contexts. Such preparation enabled the graduates to successfully transition to online instruction during the pandemic.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Megan Reister

Megan Reister, a former hearing itinerant and special education teacher in Delaware and Pennsylvania, was responsible for deaf education, transition services, and early intervention services prior to becoming a college professor in North Carolina. Dr. Reister, now an Ohio resident, enjoys conducting research, writing, and teaching as a Special Education and Early Childhood Professor in the Education Department at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Her primary areas of research include teacher preparation and professional development, self-advocacy and identity in students with hearing loss, itinerant teaching, the functions of behavior, classroom management, and fostering collaboration among parents, general education, and special education teachers.

Rebecca Rook

Rebecca Rook, an assistant professor of education at Franciscan University of Steubenville, is also Director of Educational Assessment and Accreditation. Her most recent research was published in the April 2020 issue of the Qualitative Report and the spring/summer 2020 issue of the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council. Her research interests include educational assessment, online teaching and learning, and best practices in math pedagogy.