Date
7-31-2023
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Floralba Arbelo Marrero
Keywords
pandemic, technology, constructivism, attitudes
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Hoiles, Leanne Michelle, "Did It Change How We Teach? A Qualitative Exploration Into Teacher Perceptions of How Technology Changed in the Classroom as a Result of the Pandemic" (2023). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 4656.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4656
Abstract
The purpose of this case study was to understand the perceived change in educator attitudes from the pandemic concerning technology at Cornerstone School. The problem addressed in this study was the lack of motivation of educators to try new ways to use technology in their classrooms. The theory guiding this study was J. Bruner’s constructivist theory which focuses on obtaining knowledge through discovery. The connection between Bruner’s theory and the perceived change in teachers’ attitudes was that teachers learned technology through their use and discovery. A qualitative case study design was used to carry out this investigation. Ten educators were recruited using a typical purposeful sampling strategy; all were from a small private school. These included educators from the kindergarten through 11th-grade levels. The data were collected through a questionnaire followed by semi-structured individual interviews, an analysis of reflective journal prompts, and an analysis of artifacts. Findings revealed themes pertaining to the study’s purpose, including pre-pandemic attitudes toward technology, successful practices using technology during the pandemic, and post-pandemic attitudes toward technology. Confidence developed by the participants through the discovery of technology used confirmed Bruner’s theory that learning through discovery gave the participants a more positive attitude towards technology and influenced how the participants taught.
