Date
4-2020
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Chair
Kenneth Tierce
Keywords
Google Classroom, Teachers, Education, Elementary Teachers, Phenomenology
Disciplines
Education | Elementary Education
Recommended Citation
Dodson, Hilary Elizabeth, "A Phenomenological Study of North Carolina Elementary Teachers' Lived Experiences with Google Classroom Integration" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2402.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2402
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand North Carolina elementary school teachers’ perceptions of Google Classroom technology integration as a lived experience. Google Classroom is a learning management system and component of the technology integration that many teachers use to organize their classroom content. The discovery learning theory by Bruner guided this study. The problem of this study was North Carolina elementary teachers experience difficulties integrating technology, using applications like Google Classroom, in combination with more traditional curriculum and instructional strategies. The central research question was: What are North Carolina elementary teachers’ perceptions of the ways in which Google Classroom technology integration impacts classroom instruction? The three subquestions then probed North Carolina elementary teachers’ perceptions of the ways Google Classroom technology integration impacts student understanding, professional development, and teacher attitudes. Participants for the study included 12 teachers from four Google Elementary Schools in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina. Data were collected through individual interviews, a focus group, and Google Slides, and yielded four major themes: (a) implementation of technology, (b) teacher training and support, (c) impact on student understanding, and (d) attitudes about implementing technology. The findings indicated a concise implementation process which assisted with teacher acceptance of technology integration. Findings also revealed training and support at the school level played a key role in teacher acceptance of Google Classroom. Most participants expressed a positive attitude about technology integration.
