Date of Conferral

2-26-2026

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Billie Andersson

Abstract

The problem that was addressed through this study was that third-grade teachers had challenges fostering students’ use of technology during instruction to increase literacy proficiency at rural schools in the western Caribbean. Grounded in Siemens’s connectivism theory, the purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of third-grade teachers when using technology to improve students’ literacy proficiency levels. Data were collected from 14 third-grade teachers from regional primary schools who had in-depth knowledge about integrating technology into third-grade instruction. Thematic analysis using open coding yielded six themes: teachers (1) believe technology plays an important role in preparing third-grade students for the future, (2) integrate technology in various ways to garner success, (3) face several challenges using technology during instruction; noted that (4) government plays an important role in the implementation of technology in primary schools, (5) believe that using technology in their lessons supports the connectedness of students, and (6) recommended that all stakeholders work towards ensuring that students have access to technology in third grade. In response to teachers’ concerns about preparedness to use technology, a 3-day professional development workshop was developed to address these issues by equipping teachers with the skills and resources needed to integrate technology into literacy instruction. The potential for positive social change is that by equipping teachers with the knowledge and resources needed to overcome technology challenges, improved implementation might lead to improved literacy proficiency among students.

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

 
COinS