Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

James Sigler

Keywords

Technology, Education, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Enhancing Educational Through Technology (EETT), Higher Education Act (HEA), Qualitative Data Analysis (QDAS), Simple Random Sample (SRS), Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of instructors within higher educational classrooms at institutions of higher education in the Southern region of the United States. The guided theory for the study was the TPACK theory, which combined educational knowledge with educational technology. The TPACK theory of integrating technology with the knowledge framework to answer the central question and three sub-questions: (A) What are the lived experiences of educational instructors in higher education institutions as they engage in utilizing technology in their teaching practices? (B) How do instructors perceive the role of integrating technology in enhancing or hindering the teaching process? (C) What challenges or rewards do instructors encounter in their efforts to incorporate technology within their educational practices? (D) What specific technologies do instructors find to be the most effective and how to incorporate them within their instruction? Participants were instructors in higher educational classrooms who used technology at an institution of higher learning will be selected through purposeful sampling. Data were collected through 10 individual interviews, letter-writing, and a focus group session, and analyzed using Moustakas’ (1994) modification of the Stevik-Colaizzi-Keen method for evaluating phenomenological data. Data collection results revealed commonalities and themes related to the lack of educational technology in higher education classrooms at Southern Universities. The empirical, practical, and theoretical implications of the data analysis and recommendations for future research were revealed within this study. The results highlighted the significance of instructors utilizing technology not as a discrete option but as an existential necessity. A major finding of the study was the importance of using technology to effectively benefit instructors and all stakeholders.

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