Integrating Google Apps and Google Chromebooks Into the Core Curriculum: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Public School Teachers
Document Type Article
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of public school teachers using Google Suite for Education with Google Chromebooks integrated into the core curriculum. With the adoption of Common Core standards by 46 states, the increased use of technology has occurred due to standards that integrate technology. Google has created a free cloud-based educational suite for K-12 and Higher education institutions. The central research question that guided the study was: How do grade 4-8 public school core content teachers perceive the experience of using Google Suite for Education with Chromebooks in the classroom? The theory that guided the study was Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory (1986). The theory places an emphasis on three main factors influencing how one learns from personal, social, and environmental. Self-efficacy as part of the learning theory plays an important role in discovering teacher willingness to integrate technology in the classroom. The participants were 13 grade 4-8 public school core content teachers. Data collection included individual interviews, focus group interviews, and online journals. A questionnaire was used to purposefully select participants. Semi structured interviews and focus group interviews were recorded and transcribed as well as online journals analyzed through significant statements resulting in the following four major themes: teacher attitudes and instruction, Chromebook accessibility and connectivity, student learning, and inconsistent training and support. The results identified the essence of the shared experience of the study participants.
