Candidate: James Brown

Date: Thursday, December 11, 2003 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
3514 Sangren

Abstract: Technology has been pressed into the K-12 educational environment for decades, yet studies have revealed that successful implementation in the classroom has been limited. Numerous studies have focused on the issues of technology professional development from the perspectives of leadership, organizational culture, and student learning, but little has focused on the perspectives of teachers.
This multimethodological study was conducted using a concurrent triangulated method. This study combined a 35 question survey administered online, and individual teacher interviews in order to understand teachers' perceptions of issues critical to successful technology professional development. Surveys were administered to teachers in an intermediate school district in the state of Michigan . Additionally, six teachers from the pool of survey participants were interviewed to provide a richer understanding of the survey results.
The study revealed teachers' perceptions of school support across five specific areas, considered important to technology integration into the classroom, were significantly below their expectations. This study adds to the literature by providing a better understanding of issues critical to teachers about technology professional development. Issues about implementation, statewide technology initiatives, and areas for future research are also discussed.

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