The rapid growth of technology undoubtedly has an impact on the education system and on the way knowledge is imparted to students. Teachers need to have sufficient knowledge and skills to integrate technology in a lesson. A challenge which pre-service teachers face is not having sufficient knowledge and skills to integrate technology in their teaching practice. This is due to their lack of exposure to electronic resources as well as skills and opportunities to experiment hands-on with educational technology. This study is a module analysis, regarding the preparation of pre-service teachers’ for educational technology integration in their teaching practice, at a university. Data was collected through an open ended survey which students had to answer based on their experiences of the module as well as a focus group interview conducted with the lecturers of the module regarding the management of the module. The study is based on the model, Synthesis of Qualitative Data: Preparing pre-service teachers for technology use, utilising the proposals of Jo Tondeur and Johan van Braak. The model states the various factors which need to be taken into consideration when designing a training plan for preparing pre-service teachers for technology use in the classroom. These factors include authentic experience, feedback, role model, reflection, instructional design, collaboration, training staff, access to resources, technology planning and leadership and cooperation within/between institutions. Each of these factors was reviewed, and premises were identified. The results demonstrated that for these factors to be successful, the premises need to be considered. The premises include teaching strategies, peer assessment, resources available, student learning, lifelong learners, technology challenges and learning about technology integration among others. The themes of the conceptual framework paired with the premises were utilized to establish guidelines. These guidelines were be split into two sections, namely; planning a module and preparing preservice teachers for technology use. These guidelines may be adapted to apply to other modules. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / MEd / Unrestricted

Technology engages and increases academic achievement for K-5 students, but teachers face attitudinal, social/cultural, and pedagogical barriers when they integrate technology for student learning. Although some teachers overcome these barriers, it remains unclear how they do so. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to analyze the attitudes and behaviors of 3 groups to determine how some teachers successfully overcame barriers to technology integration. The conceptual framework included Bandura's social cognitive theory and Ertmer's theory on second order barriers to technology integration. Participants were drawn from each of 3 schools in the northeastern United States. Data included interviews from 3 groups of 2-3 classroom teachers, 1 administrator, and 1 technology integration person. Data were analyzed using open coding to identify rich themes and patterns. The findings showed that a triadic force of administrators, technology support, and teachers worked together to positively influence technology integration. Strategies included providing appropriate professional development, building collegial support and sharing among teachers, training teachers to locate relevant technological resources, and establishing value and support for the use of technology for learning. The present study may contribute to positive social change by increasing the knowledge of barriers preventing integration of technology into K-5 classrooms, and by providing information that will allow teachers, administrators, and technology integration personnel to implement strategies that reduce and overcome these barriers.

Mobile and other internet-connected devices infiltrate society, including K-12 classrooms. A large body of research indicated that these devices might distract students; however, other studies have revealed many benefits when the devices are used for educational purposes. This study aimed to examine the relationships between the use of mobile devices and student performance in mathematics (MA) and English Language Arts (ELA). The study compared two districts, one that had implemented a 1:1 technology infrastructure for learning and one that had not. Archival data on the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) standardized test were accessed from the two districts, containing fourth-grade students' MA and ELA scores from the assessment. Additional data included students' gender and i-Ready diagnostic test scores in the 1:1 technology district. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests revealed that MAAP MA scores were significantly higher for students in the 1:1 technology district than for students in the non-technology district. However, no difference was found in students' ELA scores. A Pearson's rho correlation analysis indicated a significant association between i-Ready and MAAP MA and ELA scores for students in the 1:1 technology district. Linear regression analysis revealed that gender explained a small but significant variance in MAAP ELA scores across the two districts. The study provided mixed results for using mobile devices for student learning. Students may benefit more from mobile technology in mathematics than in ELA, possibly because specific mathematics skills can be isolated, taught, and practiced using technology. Additionally, because this study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, future research should attempt to focus on mobile technology and its presence post-COVID-19. Finally, more research should explore making the most effective use of technology solutions to support student learning.

Many teacher preparation programs provide opportunities for their preservice educators to gain the requisite technology integration skills and knowledge. However, they often ignore the dispositions that affect whether a teacher will actually use technology in the classroom. In an effort to address this oversight, the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University developed the Technology Integration Confidence Scale (TICS). It was hoped the TICS could be used to (a) establish a baseline preservice teacher profile, (b) monitor the effects of curricular adjustments, (c) identify preservice teachers in most need of intervention, and (d) predict in-practice behavior. Although a pilot test of the TICS revealed acceptable levels of reliability, the initial evidence gathered to support the validity of inferences to be drawn from TICS scores was based on underdeveloped, anachronistic views of validity. The purpose of this dissertation was to gather evidence supporting the inferences required for each of the TICS' intended purposes, drawing on modern validity theory and codified testing standards, and employing state-of-the-art measurement methodology. Methods used to gather validity-supporting evidence included repeated measures ANOVA, regression analyses, and a synthesis of self-efficacy research. Evidence supported the use of the TICS to establish a baseline preservice teacher profile and to predict in-course preservice teacher performance, but only in the secondary education technology integration course. The evidence did not support using the TICS to monitor minor changes to the curriculum.

Thesis advisor: Michael Russell / SDL is an important life-long learning skill. Current research on SDL has approached it both as a set of skills students develop and as an instructional method. The study presented here approached SDL as an instructional method and explored educators’ instructional use of SDL in relation with pedagogical beliefs, a relationship that has not been sufficiently explored in past research. This relationship was also placed in a Critical Race Theoretical Framework to explore whether the implementation of SDL differed by the racial composition of schools. A multi-method approach was taken which included surveying and interviewing middle school teachers in Massachusetts public schools. Descriptive analyses, factor analyses, correlation analyses, regression analyses, and t-tests were conducted in order to explore the relationship between teachers’ implementation of SDL and their extent of technology integration and pedagogical beliefs, as well as whether the implementation of SDL differs based on the racial composition of the schools in which teachers work. Interviews were employed to explore the results further. Teachers with more student-centered beliefs had higher levels of implementation of SDL than those with more teacher-centered beliefs, and pedagogical beliefs were also a stronger predictor of the level of implementation of SDL than were teachers’ amount of technology use or beliefs about student technology use. No significant relationship was observed between SDL and the racial composition of schools. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Departmental Honors. / Discipline: Sociology.

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A breadth of research has revealed that English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers are positive towards technology integration in their classrooms (Sun & Mei, 2022) and are willing to develop their knowledge on ways to utilize technology (Nguyen, 2022). Nonetheless, there is limited information in terms of the impact of teachers’ past experiences and learning opportunities on how they implement technology in their teaching practices. Therefore, this research aims to expand on teachers’ perspectives, uses of technology, and their professional development with regard to technology. The research questions that guide this study are: 1) What are the perspectives of ESL/EFL teachers on technology integration in ESL/EFL classrooms? 2) How do ESL/EFL teachers utilize technology? 3) What factors influence ESL/EFL teachers’ past and ongoing development in technology enhanced language teaching? To address these research questions, this mixed-methods study employed online survey and interviews as the data collection instruments. Also, this research utilized thematic analysis to analyze the data from ten collegiate level ESL/EFL teachers. The participants of this study teach in two different countries: Turkey and the United States (U.S.), which increased the context-specific diversity of the data. Findings of this paper suggest that teachers have positive perspectives on technology integration in their classes and their practices of technology implementation vary depending on their teaching context and experiences. The findings also reveal that hands-on experiences and teacher collaboration have positive effects on teacher professional development with respect to technology. Along with the positive perspectives and various uses of technology, this study touches on drawbacks of technology such as student distraction, cheating/plagiarism, and other logistical difficulties. The research concludes with implications and recommendations for future research.