SELF-DIRECTED ONLINE LEARNING AND SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Self-directed online learning (SDOL) is emerging as an important tool for teacher professional development, especially during a time of physical and social distancing. This may be even more appealing for special education teachers, who are tasked with bridging the gap between research and practice to meet students' diverse needs within their unique classroom contexts. The purpose of this case study was to explore two special education teachers' professional learning goals, thought processes, and web-based behaviors and actions over the course of three SDOL sessions. Participants' professional learning goals and thought processes were analyzed thematically, whereas their web-based behaviors and actions were the subject of a time sampling analysis. Findings revealed that the special education teachers included in the study had four types of goals for their SDOL: those that were (i) student focused, (ii) classroom focused, (iii) literacy focused, and (iv) pedagogy focused. Their thought processes were characterized by five themes: metacognitive awareness, monitoring learning, self-efficacy, challenges specific to special education, and reflecting on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. While both participants engaged in several different web-based behaviors, video-viewing and skimming stood out as important processes characterizing SDOL. The implications of these findings for professional development are explored both broadly and as they relate to the optimal design of online learning environments for special educators.