Date of Conferral

7-14-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Gina Solana

Abstract

The availability of technology resources in elementary classrooms is becoming more commonplace, including environments where every child has a laptop. The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study was that elementary school teachers in kindergarten through the fifth grade struggled to adapt their teaching to the 1:1 technology-based approach at Fennario School District (FSD, a pseudonym), an urban southern elementary schools. The purpose of this study, framed by Magana’s translational, transformative, transcendent, framework for innovation in education, and Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy, was to explore elementary school teachers’ successes, challenges, and the resources needed to integrate 1:1 laptop technology in their instructional practices at FSD. A purposive sampling of 20 teachers was drawn from responses that was sent to all teaching staff at two FSD school locations. Participants completed an email interview or scheduled a semistructured face-to-face interview with the researcher. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and open coding, using participants' words with gerunds for action and process. The findings of this study highlight the critical importance of continuous professional development for FSD teachers to enhance their confidence and effectiveness in integrating technology within a 1:1 learning environment. Final themes indicated that staff members believed they could integrate technology more intentionally into their daily practices with the guidance of a mentor or coach and access to ongoing, tailored professional development opportunities. The results contribute to positive social change by equipping teachers with the support necessary to develop their instructional skills to meet the students’ individual needs.

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