Education Commons^™

Delivering Instruction During The Pandemic: Insights For Special Education Administrators And Teacher Preparation Programs, Sarah Semon Ph.D., Khalid M. Abu-Alghayth Ph.D., Zorka Karanxha Ph.D., Nicholas Catania Ph.D.

International Journal for Research in Education

This study examined considerations for delivering online instruction and related services to students with disabilities. The purpose of the study was to uncover teachers’ reflections about their experiences with online learning for students with disabilities as a response to COVID-19. We used an online open-ended survey to collect reflections from practicing teachers, who were graduates of a special education program at a university in Florida. Our findings highlighted challenges and unanticipated benefits of online service delivery. We discussed how administrators should streamline instructional-delivery platforms and procedures for teachers, students, and families. We recommended ensuring that Individualized Education Planning (IEP) teams …

Deaf And Hard -Of -Hearing Students' Experience Of Distance Education During Covid-19: Advantages And Barriers, Nourah Ibrahim Albash Ph.D., Maryam Hafez Turkestani Ph.D.

International Journal for Research in Education

This study investigated the deaf and hard-of-hearing students' experience of distance education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 during the 2020 academic year. The authors followed a phenomenological approach, conducting an in-depth interview with 10 female teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Qualitative data revealed four main themes, which show students' experience of distance education. It was found that there is a general satisfaction among teachers in relation to the experience of distance education. Findings also revealed a set of advantages to the distance education experience (i.e., creating fun and increasing motivation, saving time, considering individual differences, and …

Faculty Members' Viewpoints Toward Challenges And Suggested Improvements Of Moodle Distance Learning Platform At Sultan Qaboos University During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Mohamed A. Shahat, Mohammed Al-Amri

International Journal for Research in Education

The study aimed at identifying faculty members' point of view on the challenges and suggested developments of the Sultan Qaboos University's distance learning experience in using the Moodle platform in the light of the emerging Coronavirus pandemic "COVID-19. The study has taken into consideration the faculty members’ variables (gender, teaching experience, and technological skills). The sample of the study consisted of 144 faculty members of SQU’s centers and colleges who participated voluntarily. A two-scale assessment instrument has been developed, including the challenges of distance learning and suggestions for the development of distance learning and instruction. A descriptive-analytical approach was used …

Exogenous Shocks And Teachers’ Motivation To Learn: Pandemic And Professional Development In The United States, Justin J. West Phd, Ann Marie Stanley, Aina K. Appova

International Journal for Research in Education

Abstract

In this article, we examine how the COVID-19 pandemic, an exogenous shock to the United States education system, shaped teachers’ readiness and willingness to engage in professional development (PD). We borrow the concept of exogenous shocks from economics and sociology to illustrate how education practice can be driven as much by factors outside the field (e.g., viral outbreaks) as by those within it (e.g., policy and scholarship). Using the four substantive domains in Appova and Arbaugh’s (2018) framework on teachers' motivation to learn in PD—teacher education and PD, educational psychology, andragogy and adult learning, and policy and accountability—we argue …

In-Service Teacher Professional Learning In Australia: Lessons Learnt From Covid-19, Damian Maher Phd

International Journal for Research in Education

Abstract:

Professional Learning (PL) for Australian teachers is a crucial and integral aspect of their practice and is mandated under Australian legislation. This article briefly describes PL in Australia and outlines the importance of teacher PL, setting out ways it can be undertaken in different jurisdictions around Australia. The focus then moves to discussion on ways in which PL was impacted during 2020-2021 as result of COVID-19. In particular, online PL is examined indicating that, for teachers in Australia, the move to online teaching and PL was sudden and was something teachers were not prepared for. Possible futures are …

Global Perspectives On Teacher Professional Development: Navigating The Pandemic, Justin J. West Phd, Alfredo Bautista Phd

International Journal for Research in Education

Educational researchers, policymakers, and administrators agree that providing in-service teachers with high-quality professional development (PD) opportunities is essential to educational success. Despite the substantial sums invested in teacher PD by countries and jurisdictions, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious challenges to teacher learning around the world. As conventional face-to-face initiatives became impracticable (e.g., workshops, conferences, school-based PD) and the need to prioritize pandemic-specific topics intensified (e.g., emergency remote teaching), teacher PD was recast both formally (where and how teachers engaged in PD) and substantively (what teachers sought to learn from PD). Amidst the international upheavals caused by COVID-19, how have …