An Examination of Student Success and Barriers in a Foundational Secondary Teacher Education Online Course

Abstract

The continual attempts by higher education to create more learning opportunities for students through distance learning programs tend to focus on increasing enrollment and providing an opportunity for students to obtain a degree in higher education. This study aimed to bring to light any significant differences when comparing student performance, completion, and dropout rates in traditional face-to-face (F2F) versus online versions of the same foundational course in a secondary education teacher preparation program at one midwestern university. Additionally, this study concentrated on identifying what connections may be drawn to the teacher shortage issue in the state. This study utilized pre-existing university data gathered over a two-year or six-semester period from Spring 2018 through Fall 2019 to determine to what degree students who enroll in the online version of the initial foundational course in a teacher preparation program are at a disadvantage for completing the course. The study revealed a significantly higher rate of failure for students enrolled in the online modality of the course, either by earning less than a passing grade (14.72%) or dropping out prior to completion (18.09%). This research also uncovered that if students are not equally successful in each course modality of the foundational course in a teacher preparation program, adverse impacts on overall program completion may continually strain the teacher shortage issue in the state.