Web-Based Teacher Preparation Programs and Elementary Education: Will Principals Hire These Teachers? - John A. Huss, EJITE

This study investigated attitudes of elementary principals toward the desirability of pre-service teacher preparation programs conducted online. Random cluster sampling was utilized to select participants from a population list of schools/districts in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio. After districts were determined, elementary principals in the chosen districts were provided a questionnaire designed to gauge their acceptance of undergraduate online teacher preparation programs. The return rate for the survey was 67%. Principals expressed apprehension that the “social� aspects of teaching and the measurement of teacher dispositions may be compromised in an online program. They also expressed concerns about ethical issues surrounding the use of web courses for this particular purpose. If principals are to ultimately acknowledge the legitimacy of online teacher preparation programs, degree-granting institutions must address the concerns generated by those who hire these graduates and actively seek administrator input for successful program design.

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