Strictly business: Teacher perceptions of interaction in virtual schooling

This study explored the nature of teacher-student interaction from the perspective of eight virtual school teachers in an asynchronous, self-paced, statewide, supplemental virtual high school. Teacher interviews revealed the majority of interactions were student-initiated and instructional in nature. The main procedural interactions focused on notifications sent to inactive students. Social interactions were minimal and viewed as having little pedagogical value. Institutional barriers such as class size and an absence of effective tracking mechanisms limited the amount and types of interaction teachers engaged in. Study implications and future research are discussed. Resume Cette etude analysait la nature de l'interaction enseignant-etudiant du point de vue de huit enseignants en ligne travaillant dans une ecole secondaire complementaire, asynchrone, a rythme autocontrolee et offrant des cours dans l'ensemble de l'etat. A l'aide de l'intensite de sondage, les chercheurs ont interviewe huit enseignants qui differaient au plan de leur domaine d'enseignement, du niveau scolaire et du taux de reussite a leurs cours, revelant que la plupart des interactions etaient initiees par les etudiants et que celles-ci etaient de nature pedagogique. Les principales interactions procedurales portaient sur des avis envoyes aux etudiants inactifs. Les interactions sociales etaient minimes et etaient considerees avoir peu de valeur pedagogique. Les obstacles institutionnels tels la taille des classes et l'absence effective de mecanismes de suivi ont limite la quantite et le type d'interaction que les enseignants effectuaient. Les repercussions de l'etude et la recherche a venir sont egalement discutees.

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