Date

10-2015

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Randall Dunn

Keywords

BYOD, Communities of Practice, Diffusion of Innovations, Mobile Learning, Mobile Technologies, Technology Adoption

Disciplines

Education | Educational Methods

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of and experiences with the adoption and implementation process as teachers at Tops Sixth Grade School (all participant and institutional names herein are pseudonyms, unless otherwise specified) transition from a one-to-one laptop initiative to a school-wide adoption of mobile learning. Using Rogers’s (1995) IDT and Wenger’s (1998) CoP theories, this study defined the adoption process as the manner through which an individual or group seeks and processes information about an innovation and then forms an attitude that leads to adoption or rejection. Participants included eight sixth-grade teachers whose students utilized a variety of mobile devices across multiple platforms to enhance learning. Using phenomenological reduction to analyze data gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, observations, and an online focus group, the study revealed several overarching lessons. Participants experienced feelings of frustration, anxiety, and uncertainty because of lack of 24/7-student access, computer and connectivity issues, and time constraints resulting from a perceived learning curve for students and the implementation of more rigorous CCSS. Possibly marginalizing at-risk students, teachers planned more remediation and lower-level thinking skills because they perceived students from lower SES homes without at-home access or students with lower achievement levels as less able to develop ICT literacy skills. Needing more time for developing best practices and digital citizenship, teachers also desired additional collaboration between schools and job-embedded professional development.

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