Incremental Progress: Re-Examining Field Experiences in K-12 Online Learning Contexts in the United States

Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327. Tel: 757-366-5606; Fax: 703-997-8760; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://www.aace.org/pubs/jolr/

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24

Online Courses; Teacher Education Programs; Elementary Secondary Education; Educational Research; Educational Change; Field Experience Programs; Internet; Questionnaires; Enrollment Trends; Partnerships in Education; Futures (of Society); Program Descriptions; Mixed Methods Research

Florida; Kansas; Louisiana; New York; Pennsylvania; Ohio; North Carolina; Michigan; Georgia

2374-1473

Despite the call for a transformation of teacher education in the 21st century, surprisingly little has changed. This includes how the practical, hands-on component, known as a field experience is structured. Previous research, conducted in 2010, specifically examining how teacher education programs address K-12 online learning through their field experiences found that only seven programs nationally, or 1.3% of responding programs, offered such an experience. In comparison, the current study found a small expansion that includes 15 programs across nine states, representing 4.1% of responding teacher education programs. Despite being limited, there appears to be slow, targeted growth, particularly in contexts in which partnerships have formed between teacher education programs and K-12 online providers. However, while signs of progress are evident, significant work to move the field forward with respect to K-12 online teacher preparation remains.

As Provided

32

2017

EJ1148603