Secondary School Teachers' Perceptions of the Integration of Laptops in the Classroom.

摘要

The district under study performed in the lowest academic growth percentage of the state for 5 consecutive years. Although the district received funding for technology resources, effective technology use in the classroom continued to be lacking. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers at the middle and high school under study in integrating and enhancing instructional technology practices in a 1-to-1 classroom through professional development. In the 1-to-1 classroom, each student was assigned an individual laptop. The framework guiding the study was constructivist instructional methods that promoted best practices for student-centered technology integrated classrooms. Data were collected from interviews with 8 teachers and 4 nonteaching staff and 8 classroom observations. Data were analyzed using thematic coding to explore and compare teachers' perceptions of technology integration, technology professional development, and technology use. Findings revealed that the teachers believed that professional development played a key role in their positive attitude toward a laptop technology integration and willingness to provide constructivist instructional practices in the classroom. Findings indicated that some teachers continued to show deficiency in effective technology integration after the implementation by regularly demonstrating traditional practices in the classroom opposed to constructivist practices. Technology professional development can transform teaching practices and effective technology integration that can serve as the stimulus for social change through improved quality of education and evolution of instructional practices, not only for the district but also for the local economy.