Title

Reinventing Technology Professional Development: A Case Study Examining Perspectives of Veteran Secondary Teachers

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

Date of Award

Fall 2020

Abstract

As a dynamic system, the educational profession produces continued and inevitable change. The permeation of technology resources for learning presents a new instructional reality for veteran educators in the modern classroom environment. Educational stakeholders anticipate that within 21st-century classrooms, these veteran educators regularly utilize and incorporate technology resources as an integral part of designed learning opportunities for students. Research indicates that the disparity in technology integration practices for positive student learning outcomes in veteran teachers’ classrooms is becoming more and more evident (Hixon & Buckenmeyer, 2009; Mama & Hennessey, 2013; Schols, 2012;). Efforts to design and provide continued professional learning for veteran educators that merges curricular standards and stakeholder expectations presents an important challenge. How can technology professional development be designed to reinforce the use of technology resources for effective instructional purposes while providing the skills and pedagogical training for veteran educators to employ these tools with fidelity? Technology professional development intended to address this challenge questions the designer to not only consider a variety of technology tools to confront the disparity that exists, but also employ relevant methods and strategies to help veteran teachers refine their technology skills while empowering their personal pedagogical repertoire for effective use of tools within their instructional preparation. Current educational research suggests that genuine professional learning requires components of critical inquiry and reasoning to implement technology resources within the infrastructure of curricular mandates and frameworks (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, 2008; Balan, Patterson-Manko, & Phillips, 2011; Mishra & Koehler, 2006; Smolin & Lawless, 2003, 2011; Mama & Hennessey, 2013). However, an examination of professional learning opportunities focused on technology integration reveals an undifferentiated approach in facilitating teacher immersion with available technology resources for learning and a lack of demonstrated progress for their use in beneficial student learning outcomes. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative action-research bounded case study is to utilize a cyclical and sustainable model I designed to investigate veteran teachers’ perspectives toward professional development structures designed to promote their integration of technology resources within their instructional practice (Creswell, 2007, 2014; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016; Shagoury & Power, 1999; Smith, 1978; Stake, 1995, 2011; Yin, 2012, 2014).

Advisor

Sherri Colby

Subject Categories

Adult and Continuing Education | Curriculum and Instruction | Education

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