Date of Award

1999

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

American schools are rapidly introducing new technological tools to their staff members and students. Using both quantitative tools and qualitative strategies, the researcher undertook a case study at a small Midwestern school to determine whether teachers have concerns about technological innovations and if so, to specifically identify and measure teachers' levels of concerns about the introduction of computers to their classrooms. The quantitative data, collected from instruments developed by Concerns-Based Adoption Model theorists, revealed that teachers do have concerns about technology, and their concerns are most often centered in the self” domain. No matter how experienced the teachers were, they indicated that their concerns were of great enough magnitude and breadth of type that they began to seriously question their ability to adequately adopt the innovation in their classrooms. Qualitative elements of the study further defined the specific concerns of teachers. Teachers' most common concerns involved (1) their capacity to learn to use the tools effectively, (2) the effect of the computer on their relationships with students and colleagues, (3) their ability to meet the expectations others had established for them in using the new technology, and (4) finding the necessary time to practice and use the new computers. Most teachers involved in the developmentally appropriate, intensive training sessions offered during the brief eight-week study period demonstrated noticeable changes in their intensity and/or level of concerns. The most noted contributions to their growth were (1) exemplary encouragement from the building principal, (2) conscientious use of appropriate teaching strategies (based on noted concerns and learning styles theory) during training sessions, and (3) ready access to support from the researcher.

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