Abstracts Category : Other

A Study on the Impact of Teacher Attitude/Efficacy on the Use of Classroom Technology

by Jeran Louis Ott

Increased access to technology has changed the current educational landscape and, will dramatically affect the future of education. These shifts are redefining the roles of educators and require that teachers have the attributes necessary to legitimately incorporate technology into the classroom. The purpose of this study is to examine existing characteristics of teachers employed at Minarets High, which uses a 1-to-1 and project-based curriculum, to determine if there are any relationships between the selected measures. The research questions are: 1) What teacher and district/school factors allow for effective technology integration? Specifically, a. What relationship, if any, exists between teachers sense of self-efficacy and teachers attitudes toward instructional technology? b. What relationship, if any, exists among the factors of teachers sense of self-efficacy (Student Engagement, Instructional Practice and Classroom Management) and Student Productivity? c. What district/school factors, if any, promotes the use of technology in the classroom by and for students? Based on the literature review on the topic of teacher self-efficacy and attitudes toward technology, research was conducted using questionnaires to quantify the existence and extent of any relationships between teachers self-efficacy and attitudes, follow-up interviews were used to identify various school and district factors that promote the use of technology in the classroom. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson-r correlations, and through the coding of interviews. There were 16 surveys and 9 interviews. The study did reveal the high self-efficacy and positive attitude that teachers have towards technology. Through interviews, attributes were identified and the <i>Technology Integration Framework at Minaret</i>s was developed to visualize the creation of an <i>atmosphere</i> of learning at Minarets. The outcome of this research suggests that the integration of technology into the modern-day classroom goes much deeper than merely purchasing hardware for the teachers and students to use. The findings show that beyond access there are many other factors that affect the student learning experience. The study revealed an intricate system of <i>Student Experience Influencers </i> that is required for Minarets to provide this unique learning space.