Shifting digital, shifting context: (re)considering teacher professional development for online and blended learning in the COVID-19 era.

Abstract

This paper is in response to the manuscript entitled, “Improving teacher professional development for online and blended learning: A systematic meta-aggregative review” (Philipsen et al. in Educ Technol Res Dev 67:1145–1174, 2019) from a research perspective. The impact of this study is that it resulted in a guiding framework for teacher professional development (TPD) for online and blended learning (OBL). The basis of this study may be applied to explore the quick shift to digital teaching and learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. A potential limitation of the resulting framework in this study is that TPD for OBL needs may currently differ, as teachers are experiencing appreciably different learning and performance contexts related to the mandated shift in professional practice to address continuity of instruction. The application of the methodology in this study combined with quick response research approaches (Quarantelli, in: Stallings (ed) Methods of disaster research, Philadelphia, Xlibris, 2002) could potentially extend the Philipsen et al. (Educ Technol Res Dev 67:1145–1174, 2019) TPD framework to address educator preparation for successful professional practice in online and blended environments in times of crisis.