Physical Educators' Perspectives on Instructional Methodology of Synchronous Distance Professional Development.

Abstract

Teachers‘ continuing professional development, that is an essential part of their professional career, is the subject of constant demand of them and of each educational reform interest. The rapid growth of technology and the choices of teaching and learning that it provides give possibilities for synchronous and asynchronous methods of distance continuing training which get over the problems traditional face to face methods create. A synchronous e-learning software provide virtual environment of teaching in which the possibility for enhance interactive and collaborative learning is given. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the perspectives of physical educators for the synchronous online teaching method process. The participants were 15 in-service teachers of elementary physical education who took part in a training program which was conducted with the synchronous Centra software. The results show the participants‘ satisfaction from the particular instructive method and their conviction that it allows the active presence and the collaborative learning, without influences by the lack of physical presence in the same space of instructor and learners.