Teachers taking it online: Measuring teachers’ self-efficacy to teach online after completing a training program on distance education

Abstract

Research on the effects of ongoing professional development on distance education and teachers’ online teaching self-efficacy is sparse. This quantitative study examines secondary teachers’ self-efficacy to teach online after completing an online, six-week professional development training program on distance education. During the 2020–2022 calendar years, 51 secondary teachers from a large, urban school district in the southwest participated in this study. Data were collected using a modified version of Gosselin’s Online Teaching Self-Efficacy Inventory. Using Shapiro-Wilk tests, results indicate participation in the program had a significant impact in all five of the self-efficacy domains for online teaching, with posttest means higher than pretest means for all scales. Recommendations for further research and implications for teacher educators are provided.

Keywords:

• Distance education
• inservice teachers
• online teaching
• professional development
• self-efficacy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kevin J. Graziano

Kevin J. Graziano is a Professor of Teacher Education in the School of Education at Nevada State College.

Shartriya Collier

Shartriya Collier is an Associate Dean and Professor in the School of Education at Nevada State College.

Danette Barber

Danette Barber is a Research Analyst in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Nevada State College.