Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Regarding the Role of Technology in Literacy Instruction: A Mixed Methods Study

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McIntyre, B. (2011). Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Regarding the Role of Technology in Literacy Instruction: A Mixed Methods Study. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of teachers' beliefs about the role of technology in their literacy instruction in the context of one elementary school with a technology-rich environment by investigating those beliefs about instructional technology and the degree to which they were reflected in actual practice. Survey data were used to establish overall patterns of the teachers' beliefs about and their use of technology in instruction. The survey data informed the qualitative data gathered through open-ended questions and the case studies of three literacy teachers. Within-case and cross-case analysis yielded in-depth details about the beliefs of three teachers regarding the role of technology in their literacy instruction and the degree to which those beliefs were evidenced in their actual instruction. Findings revealed that the case study participants believed that technology played several roles in their literacy instruction. Technology enabled teachers to enact their pre-existing pedagogical beliefs. Technology served as a manager of classroom behavior and as a tool to make classroom instruction more efficient. Teachers also used technology to make their literacy instruction more effective. Findings led to the conclusion that technology use in the teachers' literacy instruction was influenced by such factors as their pedagogical beliefs, perceived administrative support, the amount and type of professional development teachers received, the ease of access to technology, perceived barriers to technology integration, and teachers' attitudes toward technology integration.

Details
Author

McIntyre, Beverly

Title

Teachers' Beliefs and Practices Regarding the Role of Technology in Literacy Instruction: A Mixed Methods Study

Physical Description

1 online resource (276 pages) : PDF

Date

2011

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of teachers' beliefs about the role of technology in their literacy instruction in the context of one elementary school with a technology-rich environment by investigating those beliefs about instructional technology and the degree to which they were reflected in actual practice. Survey data were used to establish overall patterns of the teachers' beliefs about and their use of technology in instruction. The survey data informed the qualitative data gathered through open-ended questions and the case studies of three literacy teachers. Within-case and cross-case analysis yielded in-depth details about the beliefs of three teachers regarding the role of technology in their literacy instruction and the degree to which those beliefs were evidenced in their actual instruction. Findings revealed that the case study participants believed that technology played several roles in their literacy instruction. Technology enabled teachers to enact their pre-existing pedagogical beliefs. Technology served as a manager of classroom behavior and as a tool to make classroom instruction more efficient. Teachers also used technology to make their literacy instruction more effective. Findings led to the conclusion that technology use in the teachers' literacy instruction was influenced by such factors as their pedagogical beliefs, perceived administrative support, the amount and type of professional development teachers received, the ease of access to technology, perceived barriers to technology integration, and teachers' attitudes toward technology integration.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education, Elementary
Reading
Education

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Literacy Instruction
Teachers' Beliefs
Technology

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Taylor, Bruce

Committee Members

Lim, Jae Hoon
Medina, Adriana
Rickleman, Robert
Davis, Christine

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2011.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

McIntyre_uncc_0694D_10169

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:843