Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Donna Gee

Abstract

Previous studies analyzed how personality traits relate to education, but not in relation to technology implementation. Limited knowledge can lead to inadequate professional development. This study provided insight on the “level of technology implementation” (LoTi) and the personality traits of private school principals. The theoretical frameworks of this research were the Big Five Personality Trait Model and Concerns-Based Adoption Model. The research study answered the question of the relationship, using Kendall's Tau-b, between the LoTi and each of the personality traits: extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness of Adventist school principals using a quantitative, non-parametric, correlational study approach. Every Adventist school principal within North America (N=799) were invited to participate. Sixty-six completed the LoTi Digital-Age Survey for Leaders and the Big Five Inventory. Findings indicated that a weak-moderate correlation was found on the personality traits of extraversion (τb = .253, p = .007) and openness (τb = .229, p = .017); no correlation was found on the personality traits of agreeableness (τb = .118, p = .215), conscientiousness (τb = .177, p = .063), and neuroticism (τb = -.157, p = .095). It is recommended that future research studies include teacher's personality traits and segregation of data by age or years of experience in education. Findings affected positive social change by providing information that could be used to provide appropriate professional development with less emphasis on trainings that focus on agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism and more on those that help principals be more open to both the process and the actual technological change.

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