Date of Award

Summer 7-29-2020

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Shelly Fransen

Second Advisor

Dr. Kathy Grover

Third Advisor

Dr. Sherry DeVore

Abstract

Proponents of the effective use of blended learning argue that without technologyenhanced instruction, students graduate from high school missing the digital skills they need to be successful competitors in the labor market (Dickinson, 2018). Yet, authors of supporting work have established technology-enhanced instruction can have a negative effect on student achievement (Newman & Dickinson, 2017). Examined in this qualitative study was the preparedness of novice teachers to provide effective instruction in a blended learning environment, as researchers have found teacher self-efficacy is the number one predictor of instructional quality (Belanger, 2018; Conant, 2016; Künsting, Neuber, & Lipowsky, 2016). Self-efficacy is, therefore, a possible factor affecting student achievement in blended learning environments. Three teacher education professors, three secondary principals, and nine novice teachers, as members of focus groups, were interviewed to explore the perceived preparedness of the novice teachers from three different perspectives. Several factors affecting the self-efficacy of the novice teachers were identified after the data were examined. Pre-service training is inconsistent at both the collegiate and secondary school levels. The amount of hands-on instruction at the collegiate level, the time dedicated to new-teacher induction and support at the district level, and the training approach during induction were all found to influence the level of self-efficacy in novice teachers in a blended learning environment. Conclusions reached in this study may assist administrators at both the collegiate and secondary school levels to make improvements in the preparation and training of new teachers for work in blended learning environments.

Rights

Copyright 2020

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