Dr. Nicole Mishnick, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Ed Tech Program, is leading a research project, Empowering Online Educators, which focuses on supporting K-12 teachers as they navigate the constantly evolving world of online and technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environments. With support from the Sid Richardson Foundation, the initiative launched in 2025 as a one-day professional development conference that brought together online educators from across Texas.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the research examined changes in teachers’ online teaching self-efficacy across areas such as instructional practice, assessment, and learning climate. The findings showed that even short, targeted professional development can increase teachers’ confidence and provide strategies they can immediately apply in their classrooms. However, participants emphasized that they wanted continued support beyond a single event.
In response to this demand, the project has been expanded to include a year-round professional learning community through an online hub. This next phase provides ongoing access to resources, monthly learning modules, and opportunities for collaboration so teachers can stay connected and supported throughout the year.
This project would not have been possible without the collaborative team, including two graduate assistants, Dr. Lauren Montagnino and Vanessa Buttler, who played key roles in conference planning, participant communication, and the research process. Their involvement contributed significantly to the development of the research and the success of the event.
Overall, this work contributes to a growing body of research on professional development for online educators and offers a practical model for combining one-day learning experiences with ongoing, sustained support. Findings from the first study were recently presented at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) International Conference, and the research paper has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Online Learning Research (JOLR).