Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching and Learning

First Advisor

Susan M. Powers

Abstract

This hermeneutic phenomenological study aims to examine the lived experiences of secondary-level English Language Arts (ELA) teachers to better understand what, if any, best practices exist for the use of one-to-one Chromebooks in these teachers’ classrooms. Seventeen participants agreed to be interviewed for this study. All participants had at least two years of teaching experience and at least two years of Chromebook experience. Interviews took place over Zoom and were digitally recorded. Five common themes emerged from these collected data: 1) the importance of training; 2) the frequently problematic oversight from administrators; 3) the overall lack of innovation in classroom uses of Chromebooks; 4) the myriad practical, pedagogical, and human challenges; and 5) the middle-of-the-road enthusiasm displayed towards Chromebooks. After careful analysis of these data and themes, it became clear that best practices particular to ELA classrooms or to secondary-level classrooms could not be identified. However, there are three overarching best practices for the use of one-to-one Chromebooks in education. These best practices are: 1) Provide Proper Initial and Ongoing Training; 2) Understand and Prepare for Practical Hardware Issues; and 3) Identify When Chromebooks are Pedagogically Useful.

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