| Student teaching is a critical learning experience for preservice teachers, as they interact with and are provided feedback by an experienced supervisor. As online teacher preparation programs continue to expand, distance can be a challenge. Virtual interactions between the supervisor and the preservice teacher must be explored. It was not known how supervisors and preservice teachers perceived the influence of virtual field supervision on the quality of interaction and feedback in an undergraduate online professional teacher preparation program at a university in the southwestern, United States. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to explore and describe how supervisors and preservice teachers perceived the influence of virtual field supervision on the quality of interaction and feedback. Moore's transactional distance theory and Pendleton's Model for Effective Feedback provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data were triangulated from interviews with five virtual supervisors, five preservice teachers, and 24 surveys completed by 19 virtual supervisors and five preservice teachers. Those who participated in virtual supervision from a university in the southwest had a positive perception of the virtual method of supervision and perceived it to be an effective method for interacting with and providing feedback to the preservice teacher throughout student teaching. The research study uncovered additional positive, but unanticipated outcomes in terms of benefits to virtual supervision over traditional supervisory methods Research supports quality online supervision and such supervision could be expanded. |
