Online Teacher EducationWhat Are The Results

Abstract

This study examined Louisiana public school administrator perceptions of online teacher education. Of primary concern were superintendent and principal perceptions of online teacher education as it exists today. Data for the study were collected through the use of a survey questionnaire. The survey consisted of nine items where participants were asked to respond to a Likert scale format and one open-ended question in which respondents were asked to provide comments or suggestions regarding online teacher education. The researcher used regular and electronic mail to survey all of the sixty-nine superintendents of public school districts of Louisiana. Electronic mail was used to survey a randomly chosen sample of one-hundred-fifty public school principals of Louisiana. Forty-eight superintendents responded to the survey which represented a response rate of sixty-nine percent. Eighty-eight principals responded to the survey which represented a response rate of fifty-eight percent. Based on the limitations of the study the following conclusions were made: 1) Administrator perceptions of online teacher education appear to be much more negative than positive; 2) Administrator perceptions of online teacher education are negative in terms of teacher preparation for the areas of classroom management, student diversity and special needs, the social aspects of teaching, and teacher methodology/pedagogy; 3) Administrator perceptions of online teacher education appear to be positive in terms of preparing teachers for the theories of teaching and learning; 4) A large majority of administrators have moderate to strong reservations in hiring teachers that have been primarily trained online. Louisiana public school administrators appear to be open-minded to this new methodology but appear to be unconvinced that it will prepare teachers for the challenges that teachers now face. Results agree with earlier results in another region of the country.