Holistic Professional Learning in Times of Crisis

Introduction

This study explored the variety of platforms through which educators are now seeking professional learning opportunities and how those affect their feelings of efficacy and well-being in the classroom. This research also informs how school districts may adjust their protocol for professional learning opportunities to better engage their educators.

The objectives of this chapter included (a) exploring the shifts in professional learning that PreK-12 educators experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the mid-COVID era, (b) understanding the perspectives that educators have of in-district support systems for professional learning, and (c) determining the types of professional learning that educators report as appropriate during these times of crisis. According to Gotian (2021), “COVID-19 put an acute and unexpected halt to professional meetings, but the need for professional development and growth has never been greater” (para.1). While professional learning at this time was still necessary for educators, it is clear that the focus and facilitation of this learning had changed immediately upon the pivot to online and blended learning in March 2020 (Zimmer & Matthews, 2022; Lockee, 2020).

It must be noted that many teachers, coaches, and administrators required support for academic and technological instruction as they shifted to different modalities of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockee (2020) argued that the sudden pivot to OBL (online and blended learning) for educators resulted in a shift in which even veteran educators were working on the novice level in this new framework. This presented a need for support to help educators navigate through uncertainties of their abilities to meet the diverse needs of their students virtually or through a hybrid model. In a survey commissioned by D2L in 2021, it was reported that “94% of US K-12 educators agree that ongoing professional learning is important to a teacher’s effectiveness” and 91% indicated that this professional learning must be targeted to teachers’ specific needs (Kyukendall, 2022). The researchers maintain that when this professional learning is targeted, intentional, and includes follow-up sessions, it builds the educators’ confidence in teaching the content through different modalities and will positively influence other factors affecting teacher efficacy.

The roles of instructional coaches, team leaders, and middle executives, as well as higher-level administration, were examined as they affect the perception of efficacy among classroom teachers. This study explored the role of educators and professional learning providers in respect to what benefits the teachers and their students. We also explored the various types of facilitations they provide for teachers and students. For example, we identify who provides professional learning opportunities and what they include. Additionally, we explored how their roles have changed as their schools have changed during the pandemic. Furthermore, we inquire about the perspectives teachers have of the support that they receive from people who fill these roles. We explored how the increased use of technology offered learning opportunities that otherwise may not have been available to educators. We also acknowledged the impacts and challenges of these positions. These areas of research, exploration, and reflection guided this analysis of the data collected.

The objectives of this chapter included (a) exploring the shifts in professional learning that PreK-12 educators experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the mid-COVID era, (b) understanding the perspectives that educators have of in-district support systems for professional learning, and (c) determining the types of professional learning that educators report as appropriate during these times of crisis.