This research study focused on middle school teacher perceptions and experiences regarding how education leaders supported them in the transition to online teaching during a global pandemic. The research question was how did education leaders support middle school teachers to effectively teach English, mathematics, science, and social students online during the pandemic. A survey was sent to 90 middle school teachers who taught English, mathematics, science, or social studies in an online learning modality during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fourteen teachers completed the survey and from the survey respondents 6 teachers participated in a 1:1 virtual interview. A data analysis was process was used to analyze the teacher participants' survey and interview responses regarding how education leaders supported them in the transition to online teaching during the pandemic. The survey results showed 73% of the teachers perceived the principal was supportive in the transition while 80% of teachers perceived the grade-level administrators were supportive. In the interview analysis 100% of the teachers believed leaders were supportive. For professional development received, 60% of teachers surveyed and 83% of the interviewees felt they received enough professional development. Teachers expressed the need for additional professional development in the interviews which was 83% while only 60% of teachers surveyed wanted the additional training. Teachers were asked if leadership effectively supported them in teaching online. Eighty percent of teachers surveyed perceived the support provided by leaders was effective for teaching online. Of the interviewees, 100% felt the principal support was effective and 83% felt the grade-level administrator support was effective. Findings suggest that listening to teachers' issues, concerns, and suggestions, being positive, supportive, assisting in parent communication, monitoring poor student attendance, and providing professional development for online teaching were critical for teachers' effectiveness in the transition to online teaching. The findings of this study provided for a better understanding of how education leaders supported teachers during a global crisis. The information obtained can provide a significant contribution for education leaders and teachers in the development of virtual course curriculum and instructional strategies in the K-12 online learning modality. / Doctor of Education / This study investigated the middle school teachers' perceptions and experiences regarding how education leaders provided support to them in the transition to online teaching during a global pandemic Supporting research on education leadership support, teacher perceptions, online teaching, and Covid-19 is included. The researcher conducted this study to determine how the education leaders supported teachers during the transition to effectively teach online. The research question was how did education leaders support middle school teachers to effectively teach English, mathematics, science, and social students online during the pandemic? A survey was sent to 90 middle school teachers who taught English, mathematics, science, or social studies in an online learning modality during the pandemic. Fourteen teachers completed the survey and from the survey respondents 6 teachers participated in a 1:1 virtual interview. A data analysis was process was used to analyze the teacher participants' survey and interview responses regarding how education leaders supported them in the transition to online teaching during the pandemic. Findings suggest that listening to teachers' issues, concerns and suggestions, being positive and supportive, assisting in parent communication, monitoring poor student attendance, and providing teacher professional development for online teaching were critical for teachers to be effective in the transition to online teaching.

Denna studie är en intervjustudie som presenterar lärares användning av flerformsundervisning (blended teaching), flippat klassrum (flipped classroom) och fjärrundervisning i engelskundervisning. I studien har totalt fem engelsklärare som undervisar i årskurs 4, 5 eller 6 och som använder sig av fjärrundervisning, flippat klassrum och/flerformsundervisning intervjuats. Resultatet har visat att dessa lärare generellt upplever att deras pedagogiska-, ämnes- och tekniska kunskaper inte påverkas om de undervisar med något av det tidigare nämnda eller i en klassrumsundervisningssituation (face-to-face teaching), vilket kan liknas med att undervisning som sker i klassrummet utan tekniska hjälpmedel. I intervjuerna har det även tydliggjorts för vilka tekniska verktyg och pedagogiska metoder som kan användas i flippat klassrum, flerformsundervisning och fjärrundervisning i engelskämnet. Dessutom uttrycker flera av respondenterna att de under utbrottet av covid-19 fått utveckla sina kunskaper om fjärrundervisning och att de dessutom kommer fortsätta med denna undervisningsform när covid-19 är över.

The aim of this study is to investigate how the transition into remote education in Swedish upper-secondary schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the implementation of communicative tasks during lessons in English as a foreign language, and its consequences on students’ willingness to speak. For this purpose, the following three research questions were posed: 1. In which ways have communicative classroom activities in Swedish upper-secondary schools been affected by remote education according to English as a foreign language learners? 2. According to English as a foreign language learners, in which ways have their willingness to speak English been affected by remote education in Swedish upper-secondary schools? 3. What are some aspects that have influenced English as a foreign language learners’ willingness to speak English during remote education in Swedish upper-secondary schools? A total of 128 students from different upper-secondary schools and regions in Sweden were surveyed, after which three of them were interviewed. The data were then analyzed using a univariate and content analysis method. The results of the study suggest that remote education has entailed an immense impact on the communicative classroom. All studied communicative activities decreased in amount, as did the students’ willingness to speak English. This is a consequence of aspects such as technical complications, difficulties in reading others’ body language, locational restraints, and learning objectives.

Audience Response Systeme (ARS) sind in der Lage, Probleme in der universitären Lehre, wie die fehlende Interaktion zwischen dem Lehrenden und den Studierenden, durch die Benutzung technischer Werkzeuge in der Lehrveranstaltung zu lösen. Der Einsatz solcher Systeme bringt jedoch eigene Probleme mit sich: Der Lehrende muss oftmals sein Lehrkonzept an das jeweilig gewählte System anpassen, da dieses in seinem Funktionsumfang und seinen unterstützten didaktischen Konzepten sehr eingeschränkt ist. Eine Adaption oder gar eine Erweiterung des Funktionsumfangs zur Unterstützung selbst gewählter didaktischer Konzepte wird selten erlaubt, ebenso wie stark kollaborative Szenarien. Diese Arbeit stellt grundlegende Gedanken zur Konzeption und Umsetzung einer Lernumgebung vor, die in der Lage ist, verschiedenste didaktische Abläufe auf Grundlage eines einheitlichen (Meta-)Modells zu modellieren und ihren Funktionsumfang auf den gewählten Anwendungsfall anzupassen. Neben klassischen Anwendungsfällen sollen weitergehende, stark kollaborative Anwendungsfälle unterstützt werden und die Funktionalität einfach erweiterbar sein. Durch den Einsatz in realen Anwendungsszenarien und damit verbundenen Lasttests und Benutzerbefragungen soll das System evaluiert werden.