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Going on the Grid: Secondary Teachers’ Implementation of Mobile Handheld Devices as Instructional Tools

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Date Issued:
2016
Summary:
This mixed methods study examined secondary teachers’ technology selfefficacy, their professional development activities regarding mobile handheld devices, and how those activities affect their use of mobile devices as instructional tools. Additionally, this study also explored teachers’ perceptions of other factors that act as barriers or enablers to their use of such devices. The study included 104 middle and high school teachers who taught in a large, urban public school district in the Southeastern United States. Data were collected through the administration of an electronic survey and semi-structured interviews. The researcher utilized multiple regression and moderator analyses, as well as qualitative analysis of the interview data. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed teachers’ technologyrelated self-efficacy to be a significant predictor of their instructional use of mobile handheld devices. However, secondary teachers’ level of professional development was found not to contribute significantly to the model. The moderator analysis too revealed professional development to be a nonsignificant factor. The findings of the qualitative phase of the study revealed secondary teachers’ awareness of their varied and fluid technology-related self-efficacy, as well as those factors that modify it. Qualitative data also revealed four categories of essential elements that teachers must have in order to most effectively implement mobile handheld devices within their pedagogy: intellectual capital, emotional capital, social-cultural capital, and technological capital. When lacking, these elements can represent barriers to teachers’ implementation of mobile handheld devices. Targeted professional development and increased funding to minimize the digital divide are recommended to reduce these barriers. The findings of the study inform designers of professional development programs, school and district and secondary teachers, as they are all stakeholders in the process of increasing the effective implementation of mobile handheld devices as instructional tools.
Title: Going on the Grid: Secondary Teachers’ Implementation of Mobile Handheld Devices as Instructional Tools.
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Name(s): Berger, Allison S., author
Weber, Roberta K., Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
College of Education
Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2016
Date Issued: 2016
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 212 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: This mixed methods study examined secondary teachers’ technology selfefficacy, their professional development activities regarding mobile handheld devices, and how those activities affect their use of mobile devices as instructional tools. Additionally, this study also explored teachers’ perceptions of other factors that act as barriers or enablers to their use of such devices. The study included 104 middle and high school teachers who taught in a large, urban public school district in the Southeastern United States. Data were collected through the administration of an electronic survey and semi-structured interviews. The researcher utilized multiple regression and moderator analyses, as well as qualitative analysis of the interview data. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed teachers’ technologyrelated self-efficacy to be a significant predictor of their instructional use of mobile handheld devices. However, secondary teachers’ level of professional development was found not to contribute significantly to the model. The moderator analysis too revealed professional development to be a nonsignificant factor. The findings of the qualitative phase of the study revealed secondary teachers’ awareness of their varied and fluid technology-related self-efficacy, as well as those factors that modify it. Qualitative data also revealed four categories of essential elements that teachers must have in order to most effectively implement mobile handheld devices within their pedagogy: intellectual capital, emotional capital, social-cultural capital, and technological capital. When lacking, these elements can represent barriers to teachers’ implementation of mobile handheld devices. Targeted professional development and increased funding to minimize the digital divide are recommended to reduce these barriers. The findings of the study inform designers of professional development programs, school and district and secondary teachers, as they are all stakeholders in the process of increasing the effective implementation of mobile handheld devices as instructional tools.
Identifier: FA00004649 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Computer assisted instruction
Education -- Effect of technological innovations on
Educational innovations
Educational technology
Internet in education
Mobile communication systems in education
Pocket computers
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Links: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004649
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004649
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.