Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Darci J. Harland

Abstract

Student technology literacy is critical for success in today’s world; however, little is understood about how teachers make the decision for students to use technology for learning due to limited empirical research on the topic of teacher decision-making regarding student use of information communication technologies (ICT). The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the decision-making process of kindergarten to Grade 5 (K-5) teachers regarding implementation of ICT for student use at varying levels. The framework for this study comprised the substitution augmentation modification redefinition model and the technology acceptance model. The research questions focused on how teachers have students use technology in the classroom, the influences on teacher decision-making to have students use technology, and how decision-making compared among K-5 teachers whose students use technology at varying levels of implementation. Interview data were collected from 12 teachers at a public-school district in the southern United States that were analyzed using 2 cycles of coding: a priori and emergent. Key findings were that (a) teachers have students use technology primarily at substitution and augmentation levels, (b) teacher decisions were influenced mostly by student technology readiness, and (c) teachers who used technology at redefinition levels had different factors for decision-making. The results of this study may contribute to positive social change by creating a deeper understanding of the decision-making process of teachers, which can positively affect student engagement, academic growth, and lay the foundations for technology literacy for students.

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