Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Richard Hammett

Abstract

AbstractTechnology underutilization in educational settings is a problem that costs school districts time and money. This problem grounded the purpose of this study to explore teachers' perceptions of factors that influenced technology integration in a rural school district so that research-derived recommendations could be provided to improve future technology initiatives. The conceptual framework of this study was the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Four research questions guided the exploration of K-12 teachers' perceptions about technology utilization based on the framework's tenets of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influences, and facilitating conditions that influence teachers' technology utilization. The purposeful sample comprised 12 participants who were teachers employed by a single school district during a failed technology initiative. Following a basic qualitative descriptive design, an open-ended interview protocol was employed to collect data for subsequent thematic analysis that was organized by each of the 4 research questions. The findings revealed 4 corresponding themes that influenced teacher decisions to utilize technology: (a) improving professional performance through technology use, (b) pedagogical gains are worth the effort, (c) the importance of technology mentors and coaches, and (d) technology coaching and administrative support for technology integration. The COVID-19 pandemic influenced the decision to create a new professional development program rather than a policy statement to proactively assist technology integration based on these research findings. Combining the unprecedented need to deliver education remotely with the uncertainty of reconvening face-to-face classes due to the pandemic, positive social change will result from more teachers integrating technology with fidelity.

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