Date of Conferral

3-30-2026

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Loren Naffziger

Abstract

Reading skills in elementary school students continue to decline despite the efforts of teachers and lawmakers. The problem addressed through this study was that although teachers at ABC Elementary School (pseudonym) had access to 30 different software/apps for technology literacy programs that could help improve student achievement on state assessments, district data showed that very few teachers were using the technology with students. The purpose of this qualitative project study was to explore the perspectives of elementary teachers on the challenges of implementing reading technology and ways to better support its use in classroom instruction at ABC Elementary School. The technology acceptance model provided the conceptual framework for this study. Using a basic qualitative design, 10 teachers were asynchronously interviewed and data were analyzed by coding the responses and performing thematic analysis. The themes related to the challenges teachers faced were: (a) navigating technological barriers, (b) balancing training and professional development gaps, and (c) navigating student and instructional challenges. The themes related to the teachers’ perspectives on the support needed to implement reading technology were: (d) receiving ongoing and updated professional development tailored to their needs, (e) accessing additional support, and (f) administrator encouragement and guidance. As a result, the project that was developed was a 3-day professional development program to better support teachers in technology integration. This project has implications for positive social change, in that teachers could be better equipped with advanced training to help better meet the needs of students across diverse populations, which, in turn, might enhance their reading skills.

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