Factors that impact the instructional and technical support provided by site-based technology coordinators in K--12 schools.

摘要

School districts are increasingly employing teachers as site-based coordinators to support and facilitate a myriad of information and communication technology (ICT) related innovations. This study describes the barriers and enabling conditions influencing the technical and instructional support, and staff development provided by these coordinators. Diffusion theory (Rogers, 2003) and a staff development model developed by Guskey and Sparks (2000) were used as frameworks for this study of 134 coordinators from a large school district.;The findings of this study indicate that staff development and instructional support fell well below desired levels, and timely technical support is increasingly difficult to provide. Coordinators reported not having enough time to focus on each of the three types of support, likely due to the proliferation of ICT in K-12 schools. Those who reported more barriers to technical support predictably reported increased time spent on technical support functions. Furthermore, coordinator role orientation towards technical support was associated with time spent providing such functions.;Factors positively associated with the amount of time spent providing instructional support included the experience level of the coordinator, the number of computers supported, and perceptions about the role of the technology coordinator position.;Perhaps the greatest implication of the study is that a high ratio of computers to coordinators may hinder optimal instructional support. These findings are generally consistent with the literature on the characteristics of the technology coordinator position. Recommendations to the school district include revisiting the goals of the position and restructuring the role as needed to better meet the instructional needs of teachers.