Teacher professional development post-COVID-19 pandemic in rural Georgia requires improvements in classroom management, smart learning environments, culture practice, and college and career readiness programs to address learning gaps and student disengagement.

Objective: The main purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of high school teachers' professional development post-COVID-19 pandemic in rural Georgia, USA, focusing on how teachers acquired and applied knowledge to support student learning after the pandemic and exploring what professional development is needed to make excellent rural PK-12 educational leaders and policymakers.

Methods: This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study employed three data collection methods: individual interviews (15 questions), focus groups (4 questions), and open-ended questionnaires (10 questions). The researcher recruited 13 high school teachers from 10 rural school districts across North, Central, and South Georgia who were employed in the same schools during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was analyzed using Saldaña's codes-to-theory model to identify themes and sub-themes from integrated data. The theoretical framework incorporated Piaget's theory of disequilibration and Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance to explore how teachers adapted to post-pandemic changes.

Key Findings:

• Four main themes emerged from the data: classroom management challenges, smart learning environments, need for culture practice in professional development, and college and career readiness programs.
• Classroom management issues included student attendance problems, behavioral challenges requiring applied behavioral analysis, need for social-emotional intelligence training, and problematic internet use.
• Teachers reported inadequate preparation for implementing smart learning environments with limited information communication technologies (ICT) and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK).
• Professional development lacked proper scaffolding, modeling, and feedback, with an overreliance on self-directed massive open online courses (MOOC) that left teachers feeling disconnected.
• Teachers expressed concerns about inadequate training for addressing Individual Disability Education Act (IDEA) requirements and implementing effective formative assessments to prepare students for college and careers.
• Rural schools faced unique challenges due to geographical location, poverty levels, and limited internet access that impacted the implementation of technology-based learning environments.

Implications: The findings highlight the need for targeted professional development strategies in rural educational settings post-pandemic. The study contributes to the limited body of research on rural education, specifically addressing the underrepresented perspectives of high school teachers in rural Georgia. The research identified gaps in professional development that need attention to ensure educational equity and effective pedagogical practices. The study's implications suggest policy changes in four areas: classroom management, smart learning environments, culture practice, and college and career readiness programs.

Limitations: The study had several limitations including limited participant diversity (12 of 13 participants were White and 10 were female), geographical constraints (with more representation from North Georgia), and natural disasters (hurricanes Helene and Milton) that impacted participation from Middle and South Georgia. The sample size was also relatively small with only 1-3 participants from each school district, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings across all rural contexts.

Future Directions: The researcher recommends expanding future studies to explore professional development needs based on race, gender, educational systems, geographical locations, rurality, and regional educational service agency (RESA) locations. Future research should examine different educational levels (elementary, middle, and high school) separately and focus on specific rural district types (rural-remote, rural-distant, rural-fringe, town-remote, town-distant, and town-fringe) to obtain more targeted insights. Using purposeful sampling and cultural psychology approaches could provide a more balanced perspective across diverse participant groups.

Title and Author: "Lived Experiences of High School Teachers' Professional Development Post-COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Georgia: A Transcendental Phenomenology Study" by Jesse Regalado.

Published On: 2025 (the dissertation was completed for Liberty University in 2025 as mentioned in the document)

Published By: Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA (as a dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy)