Date of Conferral
10-6-2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Education
Advisor
Terri Edwards
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood special education teachers struggled to virtually teach social-emotional skills to their students when schools were closed, and all students were moved from face-to-face to virtual learning. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood special education teachers’ perspectives on teaching social-emotional skills to their students during the COVID-19 pandemic virtual learning period. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 early childhood special education teachers from the United States who had experience with teaching social-emotional skills virtually during the COVID-19 school closure period. Using open coding, the thematic analysis yielded three themes which summarized how teachers; (a) noted specific resources and parental involvement as key to success in virtual learning, (b) noted technology issues, monitoring, and authentic interactions as challenges during virtual learning, and (c) require assistance with parental involvement, data, and specific strategies when teaching social-emotional skills virtually. This study may contribute to positive social change by providing teachers, administrators, and professional development creators with special education teachers’ perspectives on their successes and challenges of teaching virtually so policies and training can be adjusted to improve social-emotional teaching strategies.
Recommended Citation
Lafferty, Dalena Lynette, "Early Childhood Special Education Teachers’ Perspectives of Teaching Social-Emotional Skills During the COVID-19 Pandemic Virtual Learning Period" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 18319.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/18319
