Preparing Teachers for K–12 Teaching in the Online Environments in a Post-COVID World: A Systematic Literature Review

Samantha R. Goldman*, University of Kansas
Sean J. Smith, University of Kansas
Adam Carreon, Georgia Southern University

https://doi.org/10.9743/JEO.2026.23.2.6

Abstract

There has been an increasing growth in online and hybrid classrooms for K–12 education. Yet the methods by which teacher preparation programs train teachers to teach in these environments, both during preservice and in-service training, are under-researched. Thus, we conducted a systematic literature review on these teacher preparation efforts. Our research questions focused on who the participants in the studies were, what the coursework was (including professional development), and what the programmatic considerations were for preparing teachers in the online and hybrid teaching environments. We included peer-reviewed articles, as well as theses and dissertations, found in the ERIC, PsycInfo, and ProQuest databases published from 2000 to 2023. Of the 1,741 screened articles, 17 met our criteria. Five distinct themes emerged from our review: courses and curriculum, professional development, program design, virtual practicum, and reflections. We found that there is insufficient training for preservice and in-service teachers in online and hybrid environments, and that the training focused on synchronous and asynchronous online instruction. Based on the results of this review, we recommend that teacher educators design programs that prepare teachers for the variety of settings they may encounter.

Keywords: teacher preparation, online learning, hybrid learning

*Corresponding Author: samantha.goldman@ku.edu