I Need Help! Physical Educators Transition to Distance Learning During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Josiah Johnson ◽  
David Daum ◽  
Jason Norris

During the spring of 2020, school districts across the United States were required to shift to distance learning modalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced schools to close their doors to face-to-face instruction and quickly shift to an online format. While online education is prevalent in the United States, it only serves about 2% to 4% of the total K–12 population. Literature related to K–12 online physical education is sparse and there are concerns regarding accountability. This study used a grounded theory approach and collected data through open-ended questions as part of an online survey. Data clearly indicate that physical educators need assistance in the transition to distance learning, especially in developing plans for teaching motor skills and online pedagogies. Many of the teachers in this study expressed frustration with how their school leadership handled the shift to distance learning, partially due to the marginalization of the subject matter. Physical educators need the tools to expand their pedagogical technological knowledge as well as resources to advocate for themselves and their subject during adverse situations in schools. The shift to distance learning has the potential to have positive outcomes, as teachers were forced out of their comfort zones to learn new technology skills that may translate to enhanced learning in the faceto- face environment. Future studies should focus on development of distance learning pedagogies and seek to understand how to support teachers during crisis learning situations.

Author(s):  
Wayne Journell ◽  
Ben McFadyen ◽  
Marva S. Miller ◽  
Kathryn Kujawski Brown

It is growing increasingly evident that online learning is the future of K-12 education, both in the United States and the rest of the industrialized world. Improved technology, coupled with the perceived cost-effectiveness of online education, has resulted in growing numbers of states and K-12 school districts embracing “anytime, anywhere” education. Research on K-12 online education, however, has not kept up with its growth. This chapter explores three structural issues that are currently limiting online learning from being a viable alternative to K-12 face-to-face instruction in the United States: inadequate training of online K-12 teachers, issues related to accessibility for students with diverse learning needs, and the importance of structuring courses in a way that responds to the diverse backgrounds of K-12 students. Although this chapter is framed from an American perspective, largely because the vast majority of K-12 online learning occurs in the United States, future research on these issues is essential to K-12 online education in any context.


10.28945/2227 ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 161-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Ruggiero ◽  
Christopher J. Mong

Previous studies indicated that the technology integration practices of teachers in the classroom often did not match their teaching styles. Researchers concluded that this was due, at least partially, to external barriers that prevented teachers from using technology in ways that matched their practiced teaching style. Many of these barriers, such as professional support and access to hardware and software, have been largely diminished over the last twenty years due to an influx of money and strategies for enhancing technology in primary and secondary schools in the United States. This mixed-methods research study was designed to examine the question, “What technology do teachers use and how do they use that technology to facilitate student learning?” K-12 classroom teachers were purposefully selected based on their full-time employment in a public, private, or religious school in a Midwestern state in the United States, supported by the endorsement of a school official. There were 1048 teachers from over 100 school corporations who completed an online survey consisting of six questions about classroom technology tools and professional development involving technology. Survey results suggest that technology integration is pervasive in the classroom with the most often used technology tool identified as PowerPoint. Moreover, teachers identified that training about technology is most effective when it is contextually based in their own classroom. Follow-up interviews were conducted with ten percent (n=111) of the teachers in order to examine the relationship between teachers’ daily classroom use of technology and their pedagogical practices. Results suggest a close relationship; for example, teachers with student-centric technology activities were supported by student-centric pedagogical practices in other areas. Moreover, teachers with strongly student-centered practices tended to exhibit a more pronounced need to create learning opportunities with technology as a base for enhancing 21st century skills in students. Teachers indicated that external barriers do exist that impact technology integration, such as a lack of in-service training, a lack of available technology, and restricted curriculum, but that overcoming internal barriers, including personal investment in technology, attitude towards technology, and peer support, were a bigger indicator of success. Recommendations are made for restructuring professional development on strategies for contextualizing technology integration in the classroom.


Author(s):  
Jayme Nixon Linton ◽  
Wayne Journell

Although K–12 online education is becoming more common in the United States, there is still much we do not know about how K–12 online teachers are being prepared. Given that few teacher education programs include online pedagogy in their teacher training efforts, it becomes incumbent on states to find alternative ways to prepare teachers for virtual instruction. This chapter analyzes a nine-week orientation session that is part of an established, state-run induction program for prospective K–12 online instructors. Although the findings are specific to the program being studied, the authors believe they can serve as a model for educators in other states wishing to develop similar types of induction programs to meet the rising demand for K–12 online instruction in the United States.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 112-133
Author(s):  
Sunaina Asher

This multiple case study describes the experiences of students, faculty and administrators with distance learning during this pandemic in the context of a Midwestern University in United States and an elitist University in Lahore, Pakistan. The participants were invited to talk about their experiences through a Zoom interview. Data were analyzed thematically and the findings revealed that the issue of the digital divide was as much as problem in higher education as in K-12. Digital divide in Pakistan is far greater due to lack of investment in educational technology. The paper ends with acknowledging the potential limitations and making recommendations for leadership and teaching practice.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-63
Author(s):  
David BARNEY ◽  
Keven A. PRUSAK

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese. The purpose of this study was to investigate school administrators’ knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in physical education. For this study 130 k-12 school administrators from two states in the United States were surveyed regarding their knowledge of appropriate instructional practices in physical education. University Institutional Review Board granted approval to conduct this study. Surveys were sent electronically to the school administrators to take. At the completion of the survey the school administrators were able to click a submit button and have the surveys returned to the researchers. It was found that school administrators identified dodge ball, relay races and elimination tag as an appropriate instructional practice. Also, full-sided games (30 students divided into two teams) were appropriate for students to participate in. These instructional practices are considered inappropriate for students to participate in. The implications of this study are to inform school administrators what practices are appropriate and inappropriate. It is hoped that physical educators and school administrators will work together to see that appropriate instructional practices are taught in physical education, thus benefitting students to become competent in their participation in physical activity. 本研究的目的是探討學校管理者對體育的教學實踐知識。在這項研究中,邀請兩個州份的130位 K-12學校行政人員進行調 查,並獲大學機構審查委員會准許進行這項研究。調查以電子方式發送給學校管理者採取。結果發現,學校的管理者確定躲避球和接力賽作為適當的教學實踐。希望體育教師和學校管理者將共同努力,看到合適的體育教學實踐,從而惠及學生參與體能活動。


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0248925
Author(s):  
Nicole Zviedrite ◽  
Jeffrey D. Hodis ◽  
Ferdous Jahan ◽  
Hongjiang Gao ◽  
Amra Uzicanin

Pre-emptive school closures are frontline community mitigation measures recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for implementation during severe pandemics. This study describes the spatiotemporal patterns of publicly announced school closures implemented in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and assesses how public K-12 districts adjusted their methods of education delivery and provision of subsidized meals. During February 18–June 30, 2020, we used daily systematic media searches to identify publicly announced COVID-19–related school closures lasting ≥1 day in the United States (US). We also collected statewide school closure policies from state government websites. Data on distance learning and subsidized meal programs were collected from a stratified sample of 600 school districts. The first COVID-19–associated school closure occurred on February 27, 2020 in Washington state. By March 30, 2020, all but one US public school districts were closed, representing the first-ever nearly synchronous nationwide closure of public K-12 schools in the US. Approximately 100,000 public schools were closed for ≥8 weeks because of COVID-19, affecting >50 million K-12 students. Of 600 districts sampled, the vast majority offered distance learning (91.0%) and continued provision of subsidized meal programs (78.8%) during the closures. Despite the sudden and prolonged nature of COVID-19–associated school closures, schools demonstrated flexibility by implementing distance learning and alternate methods to continue subsidized meal programs.


Author(s):  
Jayme Nixon Linton ◽  
Wayne Journell

Although K-12 online education is becoming more common in the United States, the research base is still lagging behind. The field's understanding of how K-12 online teachers are being prepared is especially sparse. Given that few teacher education programs include online pedagogy in their teacher training efforts, it becomes incumbent on states to find alternative ways to prepare teachers for virtual instruction. This chapter analyzes a 9-week orientation session that is part of an established, state-run induction program for prospective K-12 online instructors. Although the findings are specific to the program being studied, the authors believe they can serve as a model for educators in other states wishing to develop similar types of induction programs and for teacher education programs that will eventually have to incorporate online pedagogy into their existing programs in order to meet the rising demand for K-12 online instruction in the United States.


Author(s):  
Jayme Nixon Linton ◽  
Wayne Journell

Although K-12 online education is becoming more common in the United States, the research base is still lagging behind. The field's understanding of how K-12 online teachers are being prepared is especially sparse. Given that few teacher education programs include online pedagogy in their teacher training efforts, it becomes incumbent on states to find alternative ways to prepare teachers for virtual instruction. This chapter analyzes a 9-week orientation session that is part of an established, state-run induction program for prospective K-12 online instructors. Although the findings are specific to the program being studied, the authors believe they can serve as a model for educators in other states wishing to develop similar types of induction programs and for teacher education programs that will eventually have to incorporate online pedagogy into their existing programs in order to meet the rising demand for K-12 online instruction in the United States.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Black ◽  
Richard E. Ferdig ◽  
April Fleetwood ◽  
Lindsay A. Thompson

BACKGROUND The United States public educational system encourages inclusion, integrating learners with different needs in the same classroom students, including those with chronic disability and illness. However, a small but significant number of students with chronic illnesses or disabilities may not be healthy enough to attend school in a traditional environment. Hospital homebound programs serve these children by providing educational instruction for those living with short-term and chronic disabilities in non-school settings. These programs are publicly supported, differing significantly from homeschooling where, traditionally, a child’s parent or guardian assumes responsibility for the delivery of educational services. The limited research exploring hospital homebound programs describes them as challenged, characterized by instructors who may lack the qualifications to teach critical core subject matters and teach with limited instructional time. As online learning continues to become more mainstream in the United States, it is important to explore the impact that the medium could have on students with differing needs. The flexibility afforded by online education may provide opportunities for learners with disability that necessitates absence from traditional learning environments. OBJECTIVE This study sought to describe how a subset of learners with disability, those with a hospital-homebound designation, perform in K-12 online classes, particularly as compared to non-hospital homebound counterparts. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was performed of all Florida Virtual School course enrollments from August 1, 2012, to July 31, 2018. Researchers analyzed 2,534-course enrollments associated with students who, at the time of their course enrollment, had hospital-homebound designation, and a comparison group of 5,470,591 enrollments from students without hospital-homebound status. RESULTS Hospital-homebound designed student academic performance was equivalent to their non-hospital homebound counterparts (P = .05 - .28). But, hospital-homebound course enrollments were 26% more likely to result in a withdrawal prior to grade generation (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Hospital-homebound students represent a population under-served by many education systems, including online education. The results of this study provided evidence that when they can remain enrolled, hospital-homebound learners experience equivalent academic outcomes in online learning environments. These findings suggest that healthcare professionals should be made aware of the potentially equivalent outcomes for their patients, and virtual schools should seek to identify and create supports for these students.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Zviedrite ◽  
Jeffrey D. Hodis ◽  
Ferdous Jahan ◽  
Hongjiang Gao ◽  
Amra Uzicanin

AbstractPre-emptive school closures are frontline community mitigation measures recommended by CDC for implementation during severe pandemics. This study describes the spatiotemporal patterns of publicly announced school closures implemented in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and assesses how public K-12 districts adjusted their methods of education delivery and provision of subsidized meals. During February 18–June 30, 2020, we used daily systematic media searches to identify publicly announced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–related school closures lasting ≥1 day in the United States (US). We also collected statewide school closure policies from state government websites. Data on distance learning and subsidized meal programs were collected from a stratified sample of 600 school districts. The first COVID-19–associated school closure occurred on February 27, 2020 in Washington state. By March 30, 2020, all but one US public school districts were closed, representing the first-ever nearly synchronous nationwide closure of public K-12 schools in the US. Approximately 100,000 public schools were closed for ≥8 weeks because of COVID-19, affecting >50 million K-12 students. Of 600 districts sampled, the vast majority offered distance learning (91.0%) and continued provision of subsidized meal programs (78.8%) during the closures. Despite the sudden and prolonged nature of COVID-19–associated school closures, schools demonstrated flexibility by implementing distance learning and alternate methods to continue subsidized meal programs.


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