Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to 1) explore models of technology implementation programs and professional development interventions that promote the successful integration of mobile devices (iPads) in a small elementary school in a large Central Florida school district, and 2) identify the needs of the instructional staff to design a professional development intervention to meet these needs. This school will be referred to as School A. In the U.S., the ownership of mobile devices, such as iPads is on the rise. For example, 88% of American teenagers between ages 13 and 17 have access to a mobile phone, and 73% of teenagers have a smartphone (Pew Research Center, 2015). This has increased from 2013, when 78% of teenagers ages 12-17 had a cell phone, 47% of which were smartphones (Pew Research Center, 2013). Also, 58% of teens in this age group have a tablet (Pew Research Center, 2015). These devices, over other devices such as desktop computers, are becoming more commonly used to access the Internet (Pew Research Internet Project, 2014). This rise in mobile device ownership and usage by students and young adults in their daily lives has prompted educators to look toward mobile devices as potential educational tools to engage students (Herro, Kiger, & Owens, 2013). Developments in mobile technology have made these devices more accessible and versatile with Wi-Fi capabilities and a variety of applications (Wu et al., 2012). In this research study, a case study design using mixed methods was used to identify problems that exist in teachers' using and integrating iPads and to suggest solutions. The mixed-method data collection incorporated elements of qualitative research through a case study and elements of quantitative analysis through the use of descriptive statistics. An iPad survey was developed by the researcher and used to gather qualitative data at School A regarding teacher perceptions and experiences related to integrating iPads into classroom instruction. The sample population (n = 15) consisted of classroom teachers, support teachers, and academic coaches. The total population of teachers at School A was 34. Teacher responses were analyzed for common emergent themes as well as through the use of descriptive statistics consistent with data analysis methods for case study research (Cresswell, 2006). Additional qualitative data was gathered through the review of documents related to School A's iPad initiative and observational data regarding teacher training, and the applications loaded and used on the iPads were gathered via the researcher's role as the Apple Program Facilitator. Demographic data was also collected via the iPad survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results revealed that 23% percent of teacher respondents were not currently integrating iPads into their classroom instruction, whereas 73% of teacher respondents reported that they were. Common instructional activities and strategies implemented via iPads included small group instruction, assessment, research, and projects. Additionally, it was found that 53% of the teacher respondents expressed interest in face-to-face (F2F) or Web-based professional development (PD) sessions, which included both users and non-users of the iPads. Further research should be conducted regarding how to best maximize teacher involvement in PD designed to train them how to effectively integrate iPads into their classroom instruction, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile device PD program, once in place, with respect to how classroom instruction is enhanced through the integration of the iPads and the impact on student learning.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2016

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Gunter, Glenda

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Education and Human Performance

Department

Teaching, Learning, and Leadership

Degree Program

Education

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0006700

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0006700

Language

English

Release Date

February 2018

Length of Campus-only Access

1 year

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

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