Perceptions of preparedness for online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a graduate of an education program at a university in the Midwest

Abstract This study examined how prepared teachers felt when shifting to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. The teachers were graduates of an education preparation program at a small private Midwestern University. We constructed a questionnaire to measure the graduates’ perceptions of preparation in online teaching, as well as their experience of online teaching during the pandemic. The graduates reported the importance of university faculty modeling the use of online tools, effective course management and virtual teaching strategies to preservice teachers, as well as having the opportunity to take a course focused on teaching in virtual contexts. Such preparation enabled the graduates to successfully transition to online instruction during the pandemic.