What are teachers' perceptions regarding the implementation of virtual instruction in the public school environment?

ABSTRACT

The problem addressed in this research study involves lower student achievement on the i-Ready Reading Diagnostic test for fifth grade students that received reading instruction in the virtual setting during the COVID-19 pandemic than their peers that received in-person reading instruction. In this qualitative study, five teachers were interviewed on-on-one. Findings indicate the teachers perceive that conducting fifth grade reading instruction in the virtual setting negatively impacted the i-Ready Reading Diagnostic scores due to instructional and physical barriers. In conclusion, the teachers perceived that providing in-person reading instruction is more beneficial for fifth grade students due to the increased peer interactions, adequate technology, and smaller class sizes. Suggestions for further research include conducting a mixed-methods study with a larger sample size. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)