The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify the combination of factors that pertain to the implementation of new technologies in the classroom. Specifically, the study was an analysis of the age of the teacher, years of teaching experience, quality of professional development, and teacher self-efficacy as defined by Bandura (1997) to examine the manner in which these factors relate to implementing new technologies in the classroom. Participants in this study were located in 2 different school districts in East Tennessee. All data were collected through an online survey distributed to K-5 teachers by way of email from school principals. The analysis of data was based on the responses of 124 teachers from these 2 school districts. Research revealed that teacher age, years of teaching experience, teacher gender, and the hours a teacher spent in technology professional development did not play a significant role in the self-efficacy by teachers. Findings also indicated that teacher age, years of teaching experience, teacher gender, and the hours spent in technology professional development did not play a significant role in the classroom technology use by teachers. However, the research indicated that the self-efficacy of teachers is significantly positively related to classroom technology use by teachers.

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In today's schools, the ability to integrate technology into the teaching and learning environment is a necessary and crucial skill. Many K-12 classroom environments are technology-rich, with 1:1 devices, blended learning, and even distance instruction taking place. However, new teachers often enter the classroom unprepared to successfully utilize educational technology and navigate the technology-rich classroom environment. This research study examined the preparation of preservice teachers to teach with technology in today's classrooms, and explored the gap between the preparation teachers received in their teacher education program and what they needed to be able to be successful as classroom teachers. The primary goal was to explain how teachers are currently being prepared to teach with educational technology and compare that preparation to the skills they found they needed when they began teaching. This study was an exploratory qualitative study that employed survey and interview research approaches to establish a baseline of how technology skills are being addressed in educator preparation programs and how new teachers are utilizing technology in their classrooms. The survey questions consisted of structured and open-ended questions, and the interviews were semi-structured interviews. Results of this research study provide information for future research in the area of teacher education related to technology, can help teacher education programs improve how they prepare preservice teachers, and can help schools better meet the needs of their new teachers.

Numerous studies have been published on the efficacy of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) at the U.S. secondary and postsecondary school levels to increase student access to technology. However, there is a lack of data on the efficacy of a BYOD AUP to increase elementary student technology access. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to determine if a BYOD AUP at the U.S. K-5 level would increase students' access to technology as necessitated by the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This study was grounded in social transmission and transformative theories. The phenomenon of a northwest suburban elementary school BYOD implementation was examined by documenting the perceptions, attitudes, beliefs, lived experiences, and practices of administrators and teachers. This study used interview and classroom observation of a purposive selection of 3 elementary educators, the principal, and superintendent. Coding of data according to key words lead to analysis according to nodes and themes. Triangulation of multiple data sources and member checking helped to establish the credibility of data. Study findings documented increased access to technology for elementary students, best practices and steps to implementation. Study recommendations for elementary educators and administrators considering BYOD include consensus building, AUP, technology infrastructure, communications, professional development, classroom management, and lesson design to inform the field on elementary BYOD. Study findings facilitate social change by providing BYOD implementation recommendations, increasing elementary student access to technology at a reduced cost to districts and schools.

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This thesis aims to address why the adoption of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) within the language classroom is so varied, and its success so unclear, despite fifty years of investment and research. The huge promise of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) driven results has created an imbalance in language teaching, where initiatives are brought about from outside the classroom, with teachers held accountable for their adoption. My reading of the literature is that lack of consideration of the teacher’s role in implementation of classroom technology has led to mismatched expectations and performance. If the nature of the teacher’s contribution is recognized, I believe that this can lead to more effective use of ICT, which I have set out to show. My study, based on a survey of 319 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers across the international group of 31 schools in which I work, seeks to put the teacher back into the picture by examining where their enacted beliefs in social constructivist pedagogy best align with classroom use of digital technology. I coin this emerging praxis ‘microblending’, a pedagogy rooted in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory and contemporary methodology, and I seek to demonstrate its relevance in this study I test the viability of measuring teacher’s microblending readiness through application of Technology Acceptance Modelling (TAM) in an EFL setting to produce a model that explains the variation in classroom use of ICT. My model is based on a critical replication of the WST (‘Will, Skill, Tool’) model, a TAM model which has so far only been used in mainstream classroom teaching. I have updated, created and piloted new instruments within the scope of the study, which are now already in use within the institution where I carried out my investigations. Using both linear regression and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques I explored how these measurements of the learning environment can explain a teacher’s application of technology. This first attempt appears to explain over 89% of the variation in classroom use of technology, which already exceeds the predictive power of several contemporary models in use in parallel fields of education. Given further work to refine and apply the model, a valuable improvement could be made in how teachers work with ICT in the language classroom for improved learning outcomes.

Thesis (M.A. Education (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The emergence of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 resulted with digital classroom technology that changed learning spaces into interactive digital spaces. Changes in classroom digital technology has caused education ministries to make a substantial investment in digital technology infrastructure and teacher training, to prepare teachers to venture into the 4th Industrial Revolution. The advent of tablet and smart phone technologies created a platform for schools within developing economies to change from traditional classroom practices to digital classroom technology. The problem this study examined is the lack of classroom technology and connectivity, and teachers’ circumstances that makes them fail to transition to digital pedagogies. The purpose of the study was to investigate the levels of digital classroom technologies and teacher’s usage of technology in selected schools in Limpopo Province. This study was guided by three main research questions, namely, “What is the level of classroom digital technologies in schools? What is the teachers’ perceived level of usefulness of using digital classroom technology? Do teachers possess competencies required to influence teaching and student learning?” The study is qualitative in nature and the interpretivism paradigm and a theory of technology acceptance model were used to guide in assessment of this phenomenon. The study was premised within the interpretivism paradigm and qualitative case study approach was used. Interviews and document studies were used to collect data from 4 teachers, 4 heads of department (HoD) and 4 principals, who were selected from four case schools that participated in Limpopo CoLab school project. The findings of this study identified a low level of digital classroom technology integration in Limpopo project schools due to inadequacies of digital classroom technologies and lack of internet connectivity. Furthermore, teachers’ resistance to transit from teacher-centred pedagogy to learner-centred pedagogy; a lack of adequate teacher training on digital classroom technology; and failure in the implementation of e-education policy by case schools were identified as challenges faced by Limpopo Project Schools. The study concludes that schools that were serviced by Limpopo CoLab project lack digital classroom facilities to practice what were learnt during training. This study recommends the vi Department of Basic Education provides Limpopo schools with school connectivity and digital technologies. This study further recommends that training of teachers on the use of digital classroom technologies should be made a priority.