Weaknesses in extant modes of teacher professional development relating to the use of technology to support teaching and learning are identified and recommendations sought regarding more effective modes of delivery. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) is postulated as a theoretical lens through which to foster reflection and dialogue regarding teaching practice and a number of tools are developed to support a structured approach to professional development. These include a TPACK assessment tool to evaluate performance in each of TPACK's constituent subdomains and a new form of technology content representation, dubbed a 'T-CoRe', through which to scaffold thinking and practice relating to technology integration. Through iterative refinement, the assessment tool was able to indicate and afford visualisation of aspects of practice. T-CoRes and associated discussion were able to evidence stimulation of high-quality reflection and foster application of higher-order thinking, here termed 'TPACK thinking'. Impact was demonstrable both in terms of teacher practice and pupil outcomes. Teachers demonstrated a commitment to collegiality and reflected on their capacity to champion technology integration within their departments and schools. This study therefore demonstrates the potential to operationalise TPACK within a UK setting and offers a toolkit of resources to support consideration of the pedagogical affordance of technology by teachers for wider scrutiny, use and development.

The knowledge-based economy, advances in information and communication technologies and new pedagogical perspectives all influence the need to improve competencies in the 21st century. Innovative educational ideas and concepts have transformed the roles of teacher educators and their students. Adequate technology training is therefore a prerequisite for the teacher educator to develop prospective teachers who can use new technologies to support and improve their students’ achievement gains. However, many of these efforts fail since they are mostly based on a formal, institutional delivery of instrumental knowledge and skills. Adequate technology training is a major factor that can help to promote the uptake of emerging technologies into the curriculum, which in turn benefits students (Yoon et al, 2007; Collins & Halverson, 2009; Earley & Porritt, 2014). This research seeks to add to current knowledge about teacher educators’ technology professionalisation and to provide an instrument for the purpose of mapping teacher educators’ technology learning preferences in the workplace. The technology learning preferences instrument (TLP-instrument) designed, implemented and evaluated in this research is intended to create a link between teacher-educators’ technology learning needs in the workplace and the way in which professional development programmes should be tailored to meet teacher educators’ evolving learning needs. The investigation employs a design-based research approach which is cyclical and appropriate for addressing complex problems in educational practice for which no clear guidelines for solutions are available. To collect and analyse the data, a mixed methods approach was used. The rationale for mixing both types of research is that qualitative and quantitative methods complement each other (Creswell & Plano-Clark, 2011). Findings in this dissertation and in follow-up research are intended to lead to more effective technology professionalisation programmes through suggestions for better design and development based on teacher educators’ learning needs.

School accountability requires administrators and policymakers to implement sound programs that sustain school improvement. Hundreds of Louisiana teachers participate in Louisiana Integration of Technology (INTECH) professional development as a strategy to change instructional practice and improve student achievement. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to investigate the Louisiana INTECH professional development model as an impetus for school change and increased student achievement. The study employed a survey and an ex-post facto, causal-comparative design to address the questions: 1) Do middle school administrators perceive the Louisiana INTECH professional development model as an impetus for school change? 2) Does the Louisiana INTECH professional development model contribute to increased achievement of sixth and seventh grade students as demonstrated by gains in total mathematics, reading, and language Standard Scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills? Fifty-two middle school administrators completed a Likert-type, 18-item survey entitled Perceptions of Louisiana INTECH Professional Development Survey (Dunham et al., 1989; Klecker & Loadman, 1999). Eight mathematics and ten English Language Arts (ELA)/reading Louisiana INTECH certified teachers were matched with a similar group of non-INTECH certified teachers according the variables of years teaching experience, educational attainment, and school mean achievement as defined by the 2004 Louisiana baseline School Performance Score (SPS). Over two thousand student test scores of the 36 total mathematics, ELA/reading INTECH and non-INTECH teachers were compared for achievement gains. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used to calculate descriptive statistics for the survey and student achievement gains from 2004 to 2005. Cronbach's Alpha, Pearson's r, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the survey data according to three constructs. Independent samples t-tests were used to verify equality of INTECH and non-INTECH groups. Crosstabs were utilized to show similarities and differences between the degrees earned by the teachers of each student group. The results of this study suggest administrators who exhibit openness to Louisiana INTECH as an impetus for change are more likely to support implementation of Louisiana INTECH technology integration strategies in the classroom. Furthermore, the achievement data showed increased gains of students in Louisiana INTECH certified teachers’ classrooms.

Each year, hundreds of Louisiana's teachers participate in state-sponsored Integration of Technology (INTECH) training. Although INTECH training and certification is acknowledged by the Louisiana Department of Education as the standard for technology-trained teachers, no research has been conducted to determine its impact on student achievement (Picard, 2000). The study's purposes were to examine perceptions of school leaders about Louisiana INTECH professional development as a change agent in schools and to determine the impact of this training on third grade mathematics and reading achievement. This study addressed the questions: Do elementary school leaders perceive INTECH professional development as a catalyst for change in schools? Does this professional development impact student achievement in mathematics and reading? This quantitative study was an ex-post facto, causal-comparative design. Seventy-three elementary administrators were asked to respond to an 18-item Likert-type survey measuring openness to change prompted by the Louisiana INTECH professional development model. Results from the survey were reported as descriptive statistics. Additionally, the study attempted to determine if there was a significant difference in third grade student mathematics and reading achievement in the INTECH certified teachers and non-INTECH certified teachers' classes. The ITBS mathematics and reading standard scores were used for comparison. Nonrandom convenience sampling was used to identify the students of INTECH certified teachers and the students of non-INTECH certified teachers with similar years of experience, education level, and school demographics. The dependent variable was student performance on the ITBS. The independent variable was INTECH professional development. Using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, test data were analyzed using ANOVA to determine if there was a difference in the means of the gain scores in mathematics and reading of students in the classrooms of INTECH trained teachers (experimental group) and non-INTECH trained teachers (control group). Distributions of student pretest scores were examined to compare mean achievement. In a time when instructional strategies, tools and resources must be aligned to meet state and local accountability expectations, this state-sponsored technology integration professional development model must be examined. Significant resources are expended supporting INTECH training across the state. Louisiana's educational leaders need data to support decisions concerning INTECH professional development.

Thesis advisor: Vincent Cho / Thesis advisor: Diana C. Pullin / This study explored the role of professional learning communities for district leadership implementing large-scale technology initiatives such as 1:1 implementations (one computing device for every student). The existing literature regarding technology leadership is limited, as is literature on how districts use existing collaborative structures such as professional learning communities (PLCs) to implement technology initiatives. This study examined how superintendents and their leadership teams expect educator collaboration and whether and how they connect these expectations to large-scale technology implementation. Specifically, the concept of professional learning communities (PLCs) and their constructs were studied as collaborative mechanisms designed to support educators implementing large-scale technology initiatives. This qualitative study employs a multiple case study method to explore how the use of collaborative structures supported large-scale technology implementation in five school districts. These respondents and their stories detail a unique moment in educational leadership as increasing numbers of districts seek to implement such large-scale initiatives in school systems. Study results highlight how superintendents use leadership planning and implementation teams to serve as PLCs at the district level. This study confirms that the collaborative constructs of the PLC do serve to assist in the implementation of large-scale technology implementations in school systems, but largely at the central office strategic planning level. Superintendents utilize these collaborative structures for personal learning as they design implementation but do not scale up such structures for use by all educators across the implementation or system. Recommendations are made for use of collaborative structures to create technology educator learning ecologies across school systems. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Community college faculty need to learn and understand the technology that is available in their classrooms so that they can teach students how to use these tools. Professional development workshops are one way that faculty members acquire knowledge of classroom technology. However, little is known about the usefulness of technology professional development workshops using active learning in a community college setting as a development option. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify faculty members' perceptions and beliefs regarding technology professional development that incorporated active learning as a learning method. The conceptual framework included the concepts of transformative and active learning. Participants for this study included 5 faculty drawn from full-time, part-time, and adjunct faculty who registered for a technology professional development workshop featuring active learning at a community college in the U.S. Midwest. Data sources included interviews conducted before and after the workshop. Data were analyzed using NVivo software and inductive coding to identify patterns and themes. The findings of this study indicated that faculty prefer active learning to self-study or problem-based learning when learning technology because of the collaboration available within the workshop setting. This study contributes to social change because it provides insights on how teachers believe they best learn technology. Educational leaders can use this knowledge to maximize quality in future technology trainings.

No description available.

Teachers' ability to integrate technology is a topic of growing concern given the importance of technology and 21st century skills readiness in both academics and the global society of 2014. This study investigated the technology integration barriers that educators faced, the training the educators received, and support needs of educators at a large, prominent, 30-year old international school located in Central America offering grades Pre-K 3 to 12. The social learning theory of Bandura, the constructivist theories of Piaget and Dewey, and the technology constructionism of Papert provided the theoretical framework. The research questions focused on understanding technology integration by assessing key aspects of the teachers' technology proficiency and needs. A nonexperimental quantitative cross-sectional study design was used to examine the educational technology integration practices and deficiencies at the focus school. A Likert-style instrument, comprised of parts from 3 existing instruments, was completed electronically by 62 purposefully sampled certified teachers at the focus school. Descriptive statistics identified technology integration levels, training factors, and support needs of focus school educators. Correlational analyses failed to reveal any significant relationships between technology integration levels of the focus school teachers and the variables of interest: self-perceived barriers to technology integration, self-perceived confidence using technology, and participation in onsite professional development. In light of the survey findings, a 3-phase technology integration improvement plan was designed. The study yields social change for the focus school by improving their technology integration practices based on empirical evidence.