Date
2-28-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Sandra Battige
Keywords
Co-teaching, Virtual, Transcendental, Middle School
Disciplines
Education | Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Smith, Suzette A., "Middle School Teachers’ Experiences in the Virtual Co-Teaching Setting: A Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6530.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6530
Abstract
The purpose of the qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the collaborative planning, instruction, and evaluative practices of middle school co-teachers working in a virtual setting within a southeastern state. This study's theory stems from Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory. A sample population included twelve co-teachers in different middle schools throughout a school district in the Southeast. Data was obtained using the semi-structured interviews from 12 participants, 11 participants participated in the focus group sessions, and all 12 participants participated in the guided writing approach. All transcription were analyzed and coded, which led to the to identification of common themes using Moustakas’ phenomenological approach. The themes that were identified in this study were virtual teaching is challenging, collaboration is essential and benefits of technology. This information is significant to the study of as it identified middle school teachers’ experiences in the virtual co-teaching setting. This study concluded that there are challenges with the virtual teaching environment, the need for collaboration and the benefits that technology offered in the virtual co-teaching environment.
