Education Commons^™

Phenomenological Investigation Of Elementary School Teachers Who Successfully Integrated Instructional Technology Into The Classroom, Lori R. Walker, Maryfriend Shepard

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Technology integration in school curricula promotes student achievement, yet many teachers are not successfully integrating technology for learning. This phenomenological study explored the strategies of 10 elementary teachers in Georgia who overcame barriers to technology integration to successfully incorporate lessons within the public school curriculum. To understand the successes, we assessed strategies for overcoming barriers, intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, and professional development experiences. Rogers’s innovation-decision process provided the theoretical foundation and data sources consisted of an open-ended questionnaire and two in-depth, semistructured interviews. Data were coded for preliminary categories, and themes were generated using open coding. Despite common barriers, the …

A Mixed-Methods Study Assessing Special Education Preservice Candidates' Preparedness For Their First Year Of Teaching, Beverly Tillman, Stephen B. Richards, Catherine Lawless Frank

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study employed a Likert-type survey,

Praxis/Pathwise

written observations, as well as guided and open-ended reflections to assess the perceptions of preparedness for the first year of teaching for special education student teaching candidates. Cooperating teachers completed the survey and Praxis /Pathwise observations. University supervisors completed Praxis/Pathwise observations and responded to and analyzed guided and open-ended reflections. The survey instrument was based on the research literature and included responsibilities typically required of special educators (e.g., completing paperwork, planning, assessment, etc.). Results indicated general congruence among the three data sources, but also indicated that two cooperating …