Examining what influences a teacher's choice to adopt technology and constructivist principles in the classroom learning environment
by Schroll, Derek, Ed.D., WALDEN UNIVERSITY, 2007, 305 pages; 3275973

Abstract:

Many students in elementary schools are not learning valuable technology literacy skills because the majority of teachers are not adopting technology and constructivist principles in the classroom. This mixed methods study utilized a concurrent transformative strategy to examine this problem. Data was collected from 74 teachers from the same elementary school in Georgia to determine how their perceptions influenced their adoption rate of these two innovations. The quantitative data collection used a modified version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) to complete a comparison design survey to examine teachers' actual and preferred use of these innovations. Descriptive statistics indicated that the teachers rarely adopted technology and constructivist principles, even though they preferred to adopt them often, and the mean difference was statistically significant using a repeated measure t test. Qualitative data were collected from 9 teachers at ABC Elementary during structured interviews and analyzed using a typological approach to corroborate the survey results and to examine the teachers' perceptions regarding the innovations' attributes and the environment's conditions for adopting the innovations. The data were also grounded by Rogers' diffusion of innovation theory and by Ely's condition of change theory. The participants indicated that a lack of time, working resources, support, and training were the most significant reasons for a low adoption rate. The results were used to write a plan to address these perceived needs and the problem being examined, which could also serve as a model for other school leaders to follow. The successful diffusion of these innovations could lead to social change by possibly increasing teachers' adoption of two innovations that could help students learn the technology literacy skills needed for the 21st century.

 
AdviserRobert McClure
SchoolWALDEN UNIVERSITY
SourceDAI/A 68-07, p. , Nov 2007
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsTeacher education; Educational technology
Publication Number3275973
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