Search for: All records

Prior to COVID-19 and the shift to fully online instruction, teacher preparation programs were teaching candidates to use technology in the classroom, but they were not focusing on how to teach in exclusively online or hybrid models. In the future, all preservice teachers will need to know how to teach online, whether due to necessity or by choice. Therefore, the purpose of our research is to first identify essential elements of critical digital pedagogy for facilitating online inquiry, and then to integrate these methods into our teacher preparation program to prepare preservice teachers to facilitate inquiry-based science, technology, and mathematics (STEM) effectively in online learning environments that are equitable and inclusive of all learners. We utilize a mixed-methods approach with quantitative and qualitative measures including literature reviews, individual interviews, focus groups, program documents, and efficacy surveys. Drawing on this data, this presentation shares the findings from the first part of this three-year research project by discussing essential elements of critical digital pedagogy for facilitating online STEM inquiry. We identify what tools and instructional approaches can be used to support STEM learning in online environments in ways that will support all students, including those who are traditionally marginalized in U.S. schools.