Understanding school leaders' role in teachers' adoption of technology integrated classroom ...

194 Pages·2009·0.45 MB·English

UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL LEADERS’ ROLE IN TEACHERS’ ADOPTION OF
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED CLASSROOM PRACTICES
by
GARY SHATTUCK
(Under the Direction of Michael Orey)
ABSTRACT
It is generally agreed upon by most educational technology researchers that the
integration of technology promised during the 1990s by the proponents of technology in
education has not materialized despite the fact that billions of dollars have been spent on
technology in schools. The reasons are many and the answers are complex. To understand why
technology integration has not succeeded, one must understand how the contextual factors,
including educational laws and policies, educational change theories, diffusion of innovation
theories, technology integration theories, and educational leadership practices impact how
teachers perceive the use of technology within their classroom practices. This study looks at all
five of these factors in an effort to understand how school leaders may impact teachers’
acceptance of technology integrated classroom practices.
This study uses a case study methodology in an attempt to understand how school leaders
in four middle schools in the same school district impacted either positively or negatively the
teachers’ adoption of technology integrated classroom practices. Four methods are employed to
gather data. First, a pre-survey was sent to every teacher in each of the four schools. Second, an
in-depth interview was conducted with each principal of these four schools. Third, a focus group
of technology teacher leaders was interviewed in each of these four schools. Fourth, a document
review was conducted on selected documents to verify data collected from the other three
methods. The data from each method at each school was cross-checked to develop an
understanding about how each school uses technology within the building and about how the
teachers are integrating technology within their classroom practices.
When analyzing each school’s data it becomes obvious that the leader at one school is
promoting the use of technology within her school in exemplary ways that causes the teachers to
adopt technology integration into their classroom practices. When comparing this exemplary
school’s data with the other schools’ data eight themes emerged as essential strategies that school
leaders must adopt if they want their teachers to adopt technology integrated classroom practices.
The eight strategies are: vision, modeling, expectations, encouragement, resources, hiring,
professional learning, and capacity building.
Key words: technology integration, educational leadership, educational change, diffusion of
innovation, technology leadership, educational law and policies
UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL LEADERS’ ROLE IN TEACHERS’ ADOPTION OF
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED CLASSROOM PRACTICES

by

GARY SHATTUCK
B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, 1969
M.A.T., Piedmont College, 1998
Ed.S., University of Georgia, 2001

A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

ATHENS, GEORGIA
2009
© 2009
Gary Shattuck
All Rights Reserved
UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL LEADERS’ ROLE IN TEACHERS’ ADOPTION OF
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATED CLASSROOM PRACTICES

by

GARY SHATTUCK

Major Professor: Michael Orey

Committee: John Dayton
Julie Moore
Lloyd Rieber

Electronic Version Approved:

Maureen Grasso
Dean of the Graduate School
The University of Georgia
May 2009
iv

DEDICATION
The dissertation is dedicated to Tommie Elaine Shattuck, my wife and lifelong
companion, who has supported, encouraged, loved, and, at times, cajoled me in this endeavor.
When I wanted to give in to the temptation of quitting because I was tired or was frustrated she
was there to lift me up and to help me get started again. When I ignored her in those long hours
of studying and of writing she was there to give me support and to give me encouragement.
When I needed someone to edit my papers for classes or for this dissertation, she was there
offering her expertise. When I needed quietness she was there to ensure the house was quiet.
When I needed sustenance she was there with food and with drink. In retrospect, this dissertation
is as much hers as it is mine for she has been there through it all delaying her own educational
aspirations from the beginning to the end to help me traverse this journey; to help me navigate
the shoals of life along the way. For all these reasons I am eternally grateful.
v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to acknowledge the many kindnesses and assistance provided by Dr. Michael
Orey, Dr. Lloyd Rieber, and Dr. John Dayton during the last five years. I would also like to offer
a special acknowledgement to Dr. Lloyd Rieber whose encouragement five years ago gave me
the confidence to pursue this degree.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................v
CHAPTER
1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................1
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ......................................................................................10
Introduction ............................................................................................................10
A Brief History of Computers in Education ..........................................................12
National and State Educational Law and Policy ....................................................27
The Changing Nature of Students ..........................................................................44
Educational Change and the Diffusion of Innovation............................................48
Technology Integration ..........................................................................................57
Role of Leadership in the Integration of Technology ............................................78
Conclusion .............................................................................................................88
3 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................89
Subjectivities Statement .........................................................................................89
Research Hierarchy ................................................................................................90
Research Setting and Participants ..........................................................................98
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................104
4 RESEARCH RESULTS ............................................................................................107
The Research Plan................................................................................................107
Case Studies ........................................................................................................117
Conclusion ..........................................................................................................140
5 ANALYSES ...............................................................................................................143
Overall Analysis..................................................................................................143
6 IMPLICATIONS .......................................................................................................160
Four Implications ................................................................................................160
Conclusion ..........................................................................................................165
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................168
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................................179
A PRE-SURVEY QUESTIONS ...................................................................................179
B PRINCIPAL’S INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ............................................................184
C FOCUS GROUP’S INTERVIEW QUESTIONS .....................................................185
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
This research investigates the role that school leadership plays in influencing teachers’
adoption of technology integration strategies within the classroom environment. The reason this
research is important is because the instructional technology research community generally
agrees that technology has not been integrated into the classroom practices of K-12 teachers even
though it has been 29 years since personal computing has become etched into the national
consciousness (Ferneding, 2003; Prensky, 2006). According to the proponents of instructional
technology (Cuban, 2001; Ferneding, 2003), this integration of technology was supposed to
transform K-12 education; but this has not happened due to a plethora of reasons (Becker, 2001;
Cuban, 2001; Hernandez-Ramos, 2005). These reasons can be understood by examining the
extant barriers that prevent technology from being integrated into the classroom practices of
teachers. These barriers include teachers’ philosophical beliefs about the teaching and learning
paradigm (Becker, 2001; Cuban, 2001, Hernandez-Ramos, 2005; Windchitl & Sahl, 2002), lack
of adequate computer density in classrooms (Becker, 2001), organizational structure of schools
(Cuban, 1993; Cuban, 2001), lack of technical support and instructional support (Becker, 2001;
Cuban, 2001), and lack of quality professional development opportunities (Brinkerhoff, 2006;
Dwyer, 1995; Mouza, 2003) among others. Since teachers have difficulty overcoming these
barriers, can the school leader by leveraging the leader’s positionality create a school
environment that makes it possible for teachers to integrate technology into their classroom
practices.