A Comparison of Student and Faculty
Perceptions of Instructor Interactions in Online in-Service Methods
Courses
BarbaraSigner, Department of Early Childhood,
Childhood and Adolescent Education, The School of Education
Amanda McClusky, St. John’s University
Student
Past research has shown that effective online instruction
requires different pedagogical skills and tasks than face-to-face
instruction. Online instructor interactions are dependent on
effective use of e-mail and message postings as they create new
roles and tasks for online educators.
Abstract: Since new
technology and greater access to communication with other educators
is unlikely to change teacher classroom interactions, teachers need
guidance and support to effectively participate in online
discussions and private student communication. Furthermore,
instructor-student interaction is critical for online learning to
occur. The purpose of this study is to investigate student
perceptions of the interactions of online instructors of in-service
teacher education courses and their impact on teacher learning and
support in K-12 classroom instruction. This study applies a
mixed method approach to study student and perceptions of faculty
interactions in online teacher education courses and the
relationships of these perceptions with student (in-service
teacher) satisfaction and learning. Both quantitative and
qualitative approaches are used to identify faculty interactions
that relate to learner satisfaction and reflective teaching and
learning. Results describe and compare beliefs about the importance
and recommended uses of e-mail and discussion postings in online
learning teacher education courses. Faculty interactions are
described and compared for online faculty found to be high,
moderate, and low in terms of reported learning, level of learning,
impact on teaching, and course satisfaction. The online
courses all utilize the same professional development model
designed for K-12 educators. The model’s core components as
well as interactions between the online students, professors, and
the core components will also be presented. The model requires
teachers to incorporate technology and constructivist methods in
their teaching and to post messages reflecting on their own
teaching and postings of other teachers. Recommendations for
instructor use of e-mail and discussion postings will also be
shared.