A Case Study of Virtual Physical Education Teachers Experiences

University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School January 2013 A Case Study of Virtual Physical Education Teachers' Experiences in and Perspectives of Online Teaching Leslie Michelle Williams University of South Florida, lmwilli8@mail.usf.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the Other Education Commons Scholar Commons Citation Williams, Leslie Michelle, "A Case Study of Virtual Physical Education Teachers' Experiences in and Perspectives of Online Teaching" (2013) Graduate Theses and Dissertations http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4962 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons For more information, please contact scholarcommons@usf.edu A Case Study of Virtual Physical Education Teachers’ Experiences in and Perspectives of Online Teaching by Leslie Williams A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Studies Department of Physical Education & Exercise Science College of Education University of South Florida Co-Major Professor: Stephen Sanders, Ed.D Co-Major Professor: Nell Faucette, Ed.D Valerie Janesick, Ph.D Haichun Sun, Ph.D Date of Approval: October 23, 2013 Keywords: online physical education, virtual PE, distance education, K-12 virtual teaching Copyright © 2013, Leslie Williams Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, Kelly, to my daughter Shelby, to my brother, Jeff, and my parents, Lyle and Gloria, who have not just tolerated this journey with me but have supported me, encouraged me, and cheered me on throughout the process To my daughter, Brynn, and son, Payden, in hopes that they may see anything is possible with God Kelly and Shelby, in particular, have experienced first-hand the setbacks, progresses, occasional discouragements and ultimate joys over the past six years Acknowledgments I would like to express my deepest thanks to all of the members of my dissertation committee: Dr Steve Sanders, Dr Nell Faucette, Dr Haichun Sun, and Dr Valerie Janesick Dr Ann Barron also deserves special thanks for her initial assistance in the proposal defense process Dr Sanders has been an amazing guide throughout this process; his contributions to this study are numerous From the beginning of this endeavor, Dr Sanders patiently assisted in providing his expertise in the study purpose and design, methods, analysis, and every step in between I will be forever grateful to Dr Sanders for structuring and setting up the opportunity for me to complete the doctoral degree through the College of Physical Education & Exercise Science at the University of South Florida, and for giving me the experience to work as a graduate assistant, teaching and supervising pre-service physical educators Dr Faucette has been supportive and helpful throughout the years that I have spent on this entire effort Her kindness has been so appreciated She not only supported me in this research, she shared and modeled effective practices as an outstanding teacher educator Dr Sun has been a tremendous encourager and has provided practical feedback about the writing from the early stages of the proposal and throughout the remaining writing processes Neither Dr Faucette nor Dr Sun ever once asked, “What is taking you so long?!” Instrumental in helping me understand what it takes to make qualitative writing effective and informative, Dr Janesick has been a solid support to me over the past few years Her direct, clear, concise feedback about what was good about the work and what needed to be modified was so extremely encouraging; every encounter with Dr Janesick left me with renewed hope that I could complete this task A special thank you is in order for Dr Mary Martinasek, a colleague at The University of Tampa, who assisted me with significant details of the study proposal and then the data collection process Mary tutored me in the use of NVivo for data analysis, and provided so many tips about formatting and other essential aspects of the writing Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES v LIST OF FIGURES vi ABSTRACT vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION Online Physical Education Rationale for Proposed Study Purpose and Significance of the Study Research Questions Definition of Terms Boundaries of the Study Background: Personal Perspective 10 Summary 11 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 12 Growth of Virtual Schools 13 Effectiveness of K-12 Online Teaching and Learning 17 Solving logistical and financial concerns 20 Meeting students’ individual needs 21 Addressing individual academic needs 23 Solution for social and interpersonal challenges 24 Successful online students 25 Overview of Online Instruction 26 Online teacher’s role 27 Online instructional practices 28 Standards for Online Courses 33 Content 34 Instructional design 34 Student assessment 35 Technology 35 21st century skills 36 Standards for the Online Teacher 37 Academic preparation and technology skills 38 Teaching strategies 38 Online leadership 39 Modeling and managing ethical online behavior 40 Online Teacher Preparation 41 i Teacher training 42 In-service teacher professional development for online teaching 47 Pre-service teacher preparation for online teaching 50 Teacher Dispositions 52 Potential Challenges in the Online Classroom 54 Authentic student work 55 Equity in educational opportunity 56 Teaching challenges 57 Physical Education in Brick-and-Mortar School Settings 58 Health-related fitness 60 Perceived barriers to physical activity 63 Online Physical Education 66 Theoretical Framework Supporting Online Teaching and Learning 71 Transactional distance 72 Constructivism 73 Differentiated instruction 75 Case Study Research Design 80 Conclusion 82 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 83 Introduction/Rationale 83 Research Techniques for the Study 84 Research Questions 85 The Role of the Researcher 86 Participants 87 Setting 89 Data Collection Methods 90 Interviews 91 Classroom observations and field notes 94 Researcher’s reflective journal 95 Analysis Plan 97 Triangulation 98 Member check 99 Validity and Reliability 100 Ethics 101 Conclusion 102 CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF THE DATA 104 Setting/Context 105 Data Collection 108 Participants 110 The First Case: Allison 112 Introduction 112 Allison’s pathway to online teaching 113 Allison’s daily instructional practices 114 ii Managerial tasks 116 Grading 117 Communication 118 Allison’s educational theories 119 Allison enhances student learning 121 Allison’s perceptions of student learning outcomes 122 The Second Case: Lisa 124 Introduction 124 Lisa’s pathway to online teaching 125 Lisa’s daily instructional practices 127 Managerial tasks 128 Grading 130 Communication 133 Lisa’s educational theories 134 Lisa enhances student learning 136 Lisa’ perceptions of student learning outcomes 138 The Third Case: Ronda 139 Introduction 139 Ronda’s pathway to online teaching 139 Ronda’s daily instructional practices 142 Managerial tasks 142 Grading 143 Communication 147 Ronda’s educational theories and beliefs 149 Teaching strategies 150 Beliefs 151 Role differences 152 Ronda enhances student learning 153 Physical activity 155 Ronda’s perception of student learning outcomes 156 The Fourth Case: Mary 159 Introduction 159 Mary’s pathway to online teaching 160 Mary’s daily instructional practices 161 Managerial tasks 161 Grading 164 Communication 166 Mary’s educational theories 167 Mary enhances student learning 168 Mary’s perception of student learning outcomes 171 Conclusion 173 CHAPTER FIVE: ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 175 Cross-Case Analysis 179 Theme 1: Similar pathways to online PE teaching 180 iii Flexibility of hours 181 Remote work location 182 Children and family 182 Theme 2: Individualized instruction provided to students 183 Personalized instruction and feedback 185 One-on-one communication 187 Differentiated instructional and learning options 188 Theme 3: Teacher-guided student choice 190 Physical fitness activity choice 190 Health-related fitness focus 192 Flexibility in when to work 194 Comfort of own environment for fitness work 195 Theme 4: Teacher-facilitated student success 195 Essential content for today’s students 196 Improved attitude and advocacy for health and wellness 198 Experiential learning in relevant environment 199 Relevant, authentic learning 200 Implications and Recommendations 202 Implications for physical education teachers 203 Implications for virtual school administrators 204 Implications for teacher educators 207 Recommendations for future research 208 Impact of this Study on the Researcher 210 Conclusion 213 REFERENCES 219 APPENDIX A: INITIAL INVITATION LETTER TO POTENTIAL PARTICIPANTS 233 APPENDIX B: INFORMED CONSENT DOCUMENT 235 APPENDIX C: SAMPLE CONTENT GUIDE FOR ONLINE HS PE COURSE 241 APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL 243 APPENDIX E: ADDITIONAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS 245 APPENDIX F: MEMBER CHECK FORM 247 APPENDIX G: SAMPLE OF INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT 248 APPENDIX H: SAMPLE EXCERPTS FROM RESEARCHER’S REFLECTIVE JOURNAL 250 ABOUT THE AUTHOR End Page iv List of Tables Table 2.1 Clark’s Seven Categories of Virtual Schools .16 Table 3.1 Schedule of Data Collection Event .96 Table 3.2 Coding Themes Format Example 99 Table 4.1 Demographic Data of Study Participants 111 Table 5.1 Summary of thematic similarities across cases 179 v Science Department under the supervision of Dr Steve Sanders, the supervisor of the study and head of the department The audio recordings and written documentation/notes will be used in the analysis and conclusion phases of the study, which will take place throughout the months of June-November, 2012 At the completion of the study and the writing of the dissertation, the data will be stored safely and securely within the Physical Education and Exercise Science Department at the University of South Florida for five years, according to the IRB protocol Data will be stored on discs and external drives in a locked filing cabinet Data will not be shown to other professionals for any other type of research However, certain people may need to see your study records By law, anyone who looks at your records must keep them completely confidential The only people who will be allowed to see these records are: The research team, including the Principal Investigator, study coordinator, research nurses, and all other research staff Certain government and university people who need to know more about the study For example, individuals who provide oversight on this study may need to look at your records This is done to make sure that we are doing the study in the right way They also need to make sure that we are protecting your rights and your safety These include: The University of South Florida Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the staff that work for the IRB Other individuals who work for USF that provide other kinds of oversight may also need to look at your records The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 238 We may publish what we learn from this study If we do, we will not let anyone know your name We will not publish anything else that would let people know who you are Voluntary Participation / Withdrawal You should only take part in this study if you want to volunteer You should not feel that there is any pressure to take part in the study, to please the investigator or the research staff You are free to participate in this research or withdraw at any time There will be no penalty or loss of benefits you are entitled to receive if you stop taking part in this study Your decision to participate or not to participate will not affect your job status Questions, concerns, or complaints If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about this study, call Leslie Williams at (813) 389-3275 If you have questions about your rights as a participant in this study, general questions, or have complaints, concerns or issues you want to discuss with someone outside the research, call the Division of Research Integrity and Compliance of the University of South Florida at (813) 9749343 If you experience an unanticipated problem related to the research, call Leslie Williams at (813) 389-3275 Consent to Take Part in this Research Study It is up to you to decide whether you want to take part in this study If you want to take part, please sign the form, if the following statements are true 239 I freely give my consent to take part in this study I understand that by signing this form I am agreeing to take part in research I have received a copy of this form to take with me _ Signature of Person Taking Part in Study Date _ Printed Name of Person Taking Part in Study Statement of Person Obtaining Informed Consent I have carefully explained to the person taking part in the study what he or she can expect I hereby certify that when this person signs this form, to the best of my knowledge, he or she understands: What the study is about What procedures/interventions/investigational drugs or devices will be used What the potential benefits might be What the known risks might be Signature of Person Obtaining Informed Consent Date Printed Name of Person Obtaining Informed Consent 240 Appendix C: Sample Content Guide for Online HS PE Course Overview of Personal Fitness (PE) class with Florida Virtual School (2010), 16-week course Module/Chapter Topics Content Module Course introduction, training principles, flexibility/stretching safely, start flexibility workout, fitness assessments Module Health risk factors, skill and healthrelated fitness components, warm up/cool down, continue flexibility workout Module Stress related issues, positive coping strategies, managing stress, goal setting, continue flexibility workout, check fitness measurements again Module Cardiovascular health, monitoring HR, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular principles, continue flexibility work and add cardiovascular activities Module Muscular fitness, safety, FIT principles of resistance training, continue flexibility and cardiovascular work and add resistance training Module Food, evaluate personal menu, food labels, food guide pyramid, continue all three components of fitness 241 Module Body types, body composition, intake/output, BMR, weight control, continue all three components of fitness Module Overview/review, final fitness assessments, workout log and exam 242 Appendix D: Interview Protocol Protocol A – First Interview (Transition to and Overview of Online PE Teaching): What was your path to your current online teaching position (Hasson, 2011)? Why did you want to become an online physical education teacher? What are the transitions you experienced in moving from traditional to online PE teacher (Hasson, 2011)? Talk about a typical day at work teaching PE online What does it look like? What you to support successful student learning outcomes in the online PE class? What knowledge, content and other, you need to successfully teach PE online? What skills are required to successfully teach PE online? What are the dispositions necessary for successfully supporting student achievement in the online PE environment? (Janesick, 2009) What you enjoy about teaching in the online PE environment? Protocol B – Second Interview (Technology, Communication, and Tasks in Teaching Online, and Follow-up): What aspects of your online job are challenging? 243 What technology skill is necessary to teach PE online? How proficient are you with computer technology? Describe your communication with students and parents How much time you spend in communication with your students? How you track your students’ progress? How much time you spend tracking and monitoring students’ progress? How much time you spend grading student work? Has your online teaching experience changed your face-to-face teaching? How – positively or negatively? (Smith, 2009) How is your role as teacher different online? (Smith, 2009) 10 What was most helpful in preparing you for online teaching? (Smith, 2009) 244 Appendix E: Additional Interview Questions What is most fulfilling about online PE teaching? What is most challenging about online PE teaching? Just as your role of teacher is different, how is the role of students different online? How have you had to adjust your persona or teaching style as an online PE teacher? Are their personal traits that you believe assist you in being effective as an online PE teacher? Do you observe any differences in the way you connect and interact with your online versus face-to-face students? What are some differences? What kinds of misunderstandings or challenging situations arise in online PE classes? Do you use Flash appointments for parents and students? How does that work? * Do you use Elluminate for tutoring or help sessions for students? How does that work? * 10 What strategies have you tried online that just didn’t work? 11 What strategies you use online that seem to be successful in helping improve student learning outcomes? 12 What experiences have you had as an online student? 13 Does it matter if online teachers have had experience as online students themselves? 14 Are there other experiences that helped you become effective as an online PE teacher? 15 Should online PE teachers be required to have some sort of preparation for online teaching? Would you describe it? 245 16 Should online teachers have a separate license? If so, how should it work? 17 How would you compare your responsibilities as a PE teacher in online classes versus face-to-face classes? 18 Which you prefer – teaching PE online or face-to-face? Why? 19 Do you want to continue teaching online courses? Why? 20 What are the most important things for online PE teachers to know and do? 21 What advice you have for people considering becoming online PE teachers? 22 What administrators need to know about online teaching? 23 How you confirm and authenticate students’ physical activity for the course assignments? 24 What you that provides enhancement to the students’ learning? 25 What educational theories support your methods of instruction? 26 What you observe in your students with regard to attitudes toward learning? 27 What type of growth, if any, you see in your students with regard to learning and attitudes toward learning? Taken with permission from Smith, R (2009) *Original questions not taken from Smith, R (2009) 246 Appendix F: Member Check Form Date: Dear _, Thank you for an enjoyable and insightful interview Attached you will find a draft copy of the verbatim transcripts of the interview Please review the transcription for accuracy of responses and reporting of information Please feel free to contact me at (813) 389-3275 or via e-mail at lmwilli8@mail.usf.edu should you have any questions Thank you again for your willingness to participate in this study Sincerely, Leslie Williams (Janesick, 2004) 247 Appendix G: Sample of Interview Transcript Interviewer: Okay So you were used to really providing a lot of skills instruction? Respondent: This is how you it and let me correct this and let me, you know, let’s repeat this over and over in my coaching, and now there have been a few times where I’ve done that with the students like they’ll submit something and I’ll be like okay, I want you to re-look at this and then submit it again because I think you can better or you left a lot of stuff out So I mean there’s a little bit of crossover but it’s not quite as hands on that way Interviewer: Well, what kind of content are you speaking of that they’re - are you talking about some written assignments that are online? Respondent: Yes So I don’t know if you’re aware of how the courses work So I teach a handful of classes online right now and some of them are health classes where there is no fitness log It’s just they read an assignment or watch a video and stuff online and then they answer the questions, take the quizzes So then I’ll grade those things when they submit them and then I’ll give them feedback on what they did or why they missed points Then there’s the PE classes where they also lessons and they submit assignments and take quizzes but then they also have to a fitness log that’s attached to each week Then I will go back through and make sure they’re getting all of their cardio in, that they’re getting their flexibility in, that they’re getting their strength training in, and make sure their heart rate is in the right zone because they record their heart rate Then I’ll say, “Hey, I think you can get your heart rate 248 a little bit higher,” and if some of them are struggling I’ve given them just some advice Some of them like I walked three miles today and after they’ve done that for a while then I’ll try to challenge them to say, “Okay, this time I want you to walk your miles but maybe for part of it you could walk for a minute and jog for 30 seconds and then sprint for 15 seconds and try to that three times in a row,” you know, just trying to get them to more Interviewer: Okay You’ve kind of touched on this next question about just taking a minute to describe your current daily teaching responsibilities and duties Respondent: So, daily I try to log into the site every day and see if anyone submitted any assignments, and then I will grade those assignments and I am responsible for making sure that they’re graded within three days of being submitted So there shouldn’t be any longer period than three days once they’ve submitted an assignment to once they get it back Then I will also on a weekly basis try to make contact outside of the assignments whether it’s an email reminding them to their work or just checking in and seeing how these things are going Interviewer: Oh, yes Okay, well, we’ve talked about educational theories or educational practices like thinking about different learning styles Do you have any theory or practice that you really hold true to or that you think is kind of like the way you’re committed to teaching? Respondent: Well, for me, and I’ve talked to a couple of advisers about how - For me, I don’t look for reasons to take points away Like I don’t look and be like, “Oh, you missed this.” Well, I mean I have to look for that stuff but I don’t, that’s not my main focus Like I’m looking and like okay, they met this criteria, they did this, they did this, they did this, instead of really super nitpicking and then like, “Oops, you screwed up on that.” But I think if they’re getting the point, the spirit of the assignment, then I’m pretty good with it 249 Appendix H: Sample Excerpts from Researcher’s Reflective Journal 9-26-12: I have hand-written notes about the progress so far, but need to rewrite and reflect now about what has transpired thus far It was wonderful to speak with Katie Carone and have her support for the study She connected me with her two teachers, Lisa (pseudonym) and Ronda (pseudonym) Katie feels the same way I about online PE and health options She has done something significant in starting her company as a curriculum provider for online PE and Health content for K-12 virtual schools She has added the elementary components recently, and is adding post-secondary, undergraduate college courses too She also has content for school faculty or business folks who want to complete a group fitness program Carone partners with technology companies to offer fitness technology that matches up with her courses… so students can use Polar HR monitors, for instance, and then upload the data into the course for the instructor to read, assess and evaluate I wondered about asking Katie if a student could ever shadow one of her teachers to see what it’s like to work in the online setting… I am not sure if she would be able to provide an internship experience, as most of what they is provide curriculum to other virtual schools 10-5-12: I conducted my first interview with my first participant finally! Lisa (pseudonym) gave me the access code to phone in and I did that, and she showed me some of the course via their LMS, Moodle She mentioned Brain Honey as an LMS they are considering moving to – I will investigate Brain Honey when I have a chance Mainly I learned about Lisa 250 and where she lives; she has a son who missed the bus home today and she had to go get him, so we started our interview this afternoon a bit later than originally planned Lisa shared about a fitness checkpoint terminology that is similar to a monthly call or discussion-based assignment, it sounds; parent verification is part of their fitness checkpoint/check-in Something interesting is her reference to ‘lucked into’ the online job/position That is just what it’s like at FLVS kind of, but it is hard work and more hard work – diligence and perseverance to get a job at FLVS This makes one think that it is hard to get a job in an online setting There is not an abundance of online jobs in any subject area, I imagine Lisa also said she knew nothing about online teaching and learning, at the secondary level anyway, beforehand She secured the position through another contact who knew Katie? Then Katie trained her virtually – she attended a teacher training on the computer I will ask again if they met F2F before she started working for Carone Fitness I realize that I need to ask more direct questions next time 251 About the Author  Works at The University of Tampa  Teaches Physical Education curriculum and methods courses and supervises student internship experiences Leslie also teaches Exercise Science courses for students from a variety of majors within the Department of Health Sciences and Human Performance at the university, including pre-service PE students She spent three years as a graduate assistant at the University of South Florida in the School of Physical Education & Exercise Science and then went on to the University of Tampa in 2011  Received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Exercise and Sport Studies from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1995 and began teaching at the secondary level She received a Master’s of Education degree from the University of Florida in 2005 while still teaching PE and other subjects in the traditional secondary setting  Teaching experience in the online secondary educational setting as well ... limitations of this study are traditional in nature (Patton, 2002) A typical limitation of a case study is that ideas and analyses cannot be generalized to the broader population, and in this study, ... among other topics, offered online and in a traditional setting Physical education (PE) – Physical education is education of and through human movement where many educational objectives are achieved... teachers and teacher education for pre-service teachers Also included in this literature review is a synopsis of the traditional physical education challenges teachers face today, along with a final