Educational Technology Commons^™

Elementary School Teacher Characteristics Associated With Self-Efficacy For Using Technology To Implement Constructivist Content Instruction: An Explanatory Correlational Study, Patricia Barton

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Technology mediated constructivist practices may be effective, but there are challenges for implementing them, and one challenge is the teachers themselves and their self-efficacy. Teachers of different backgrounds may differ on self-efficacy in technology mediated constructivist practices, and those possible differences can warrant different training approaches. For this study, 212 K-5 teachers from small to medium sized rural and suburban school districts in the Midwestern US, as well as teachers from a variety of other geographic areas, completed an online survey. The dependent variable self-efficacy in Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (SE-C-TPACK) was regressed on the independent variables. The independent …

The Efficacy Of Educational Robotics In An Integrated Stem Elementary Curriculum, Colleen Marie Cannon-Ruffo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

While there has never been a greater demand for STEM education, the U.S. is still struggling to define and implement this type of instruction. Identifying innovative and effective ways of improving STEM education in the K-12 environment is vital to the U.S. to remain economically viable on a global level. The multidisciplinary aspect of educational robotics facilitates an integrated approach to STEM learning which espouses the educational theories of Constructionism and Computational Thinking. The purpose of this study was to compare the cognitive and affective out-comes of participation in an integrated STEM curriculum based on educational robotics. The integrated STEM …

Saudi Students’ Attitude Toward Using Mobile Applications In Learning English Vocabulary, Talal Ali Abozandah

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitude of Saudi students utilizing mobile applications for learning English vocabulary. The theoretical framework that guided this study was the technology acceptance model (TAM). In this study TAM theory included two main constructs, namely perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, to predict an individual’s attitude toward using new technology (Davis, 1989). A survey was used to collect data, and the survey consisted of two sections. The first section asked participants for demographic information, and the second section included Likert items pertaining to students’ attitudes toward using mobile applications to learn …

In And Out Of School Literacies: Adolescents Negotiating And Navigating Identities Through Social Media, Brooke Elizabeth Simon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Through the theoretical lens of connected learning and a pedagogy of multiliteracies, this

embedded case study provides an intimate portrait of two adolescents (ages 14-15), Rehema and

Luis. The focus of the study is their uses of social media both in and out of the classroom, their

purposes, practices, and perspectives surrounding this use, and the tensions that exist between

building and maintaining their identities within social networking sites (SNS) and the crossover

of their teachers and school utilizing these same SNS for learning purposes. The findings reveal

that for these particular focal participants, the use of SNS, both in …

The Effects Of Using A Mobile Digital Assistive Tutor For Circuit Analysis On Students’ Academic Achievement, Problem-Solving And Self-Efficacy, Kenie Moses

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This experimental research study examined the effects of using a mobile learning environment (MLE) that provided scaffolded assistive tutoring on student achievement in a Circuit Analysis (Network Theory) course. It also aimed to examine the relationships between students’ user learning analytics and their learning outcomes. The design and development of the mobile app was based on the Model of Contingent Instruction and Metacognitive Support which critically applies scaffolding as its operative in transferring domain knowledge in expert to novice problem-solving.

This experimental research study collected data from eighty-three undergraduate college students who were randomly assigned into one of three groups …

Exploring The Use Of Podcasts On Students’ Language Learning And Change Of Students’ Self-Efficacy About The Use Of Podcasts, Silvia Rehulina Ginting

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Similar to other types of mobile technologies, podcasts are believed to provide many advantages for language instruction, including English as a second language (ESL) learners’ listening skills and pronunciation and changes in their self-efficacy from using the podcasts for learning ESL. The convergent parallel mixed methods design used Mayer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning and Bandura’s self-efficacy as foundations. It used 11 different instruments to collect quantitative data and qualitative data from two sections of an upper-intermediate ESL class at one university in Midwest United States. Quantitative data were collected using a pre-test, a post-test, and the note taking quizzes …

Factors Predicting Faculty Members’ Intention To Teach Online In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia, Fahad Obaid T. Alenezi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Despite the benefits online education provides, some faculty still consider online teaching less effective than traditional teaching and are not convinced they want to be involved in distance education (Blin & Munro, 2008; Bolliger & Wasilik, 2009; Chen & Chen, 2006). In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the movement toward online education is slow and not promising due to several factors that may relate to faculty, learners, and institutions. The aim of this study was to investigate faculty members’ intentions to teach online at the University of Hail in KSA based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Additionally, …

Factors Related To Employees’ Behavioral Intention To Use Online Professional Development, Yousef Saud Alshrari

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

With the rapid changes in and development of online learning, the need for integrating online professional development is growing due to its availability and flexibility for improving employees’ job-related skills and knowledge (Chatzoglou, Sarigiannidis, Vraimaki, & Diamantidis, 2009; Kijsanayotin, Pannarunothai, & Speedie, 2009; Yoo & Hung, 2016). Online professional development is defined as “a means for delivering information and communication between the trainer and the student” (Race, 2005, p. 9) – in other words, providing training using technology. According to the literature, there is a lack of consideration of employees’ behavioral intention to use online professional development (Admiraal & Lockhorst, …

Factors Supporting Faculty’S Intention To Use Online Video Sharing Platforms In The Classroom Environment, Abdullah Eid Albalawi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examined factors that influence faculty members’ behavioral intention to use online video sharing platforms (YouTube) to support their teaching presence in the classroom environment at one Saudi university, King Khalid University (KKU). Out of 3,583 KKU faculty members, 151 participated in this study. The study had three research questions. Regarding the first research question (To what extent do performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence explain faculty’s behavioral intention to use online video sharing platforms [YouTube] to support teaching presence in the classroom environment?), the results indicated that the combined set of three predictors: Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort …

Exploring High School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Facilitating Conditions Prior To The Implementation Of A 1:1 Learning Environment, Ellen Kathleen Lawrence

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Technology is embedded in teaching and learning. Many public high schools are implementing 1:1 learning environments. Questions remain regarding conditions which facilitate such an endeavor. This explanatory correlational study utilizes Ely’s Conditions of Change framework to explore suburban high school teachers’ perceptions of eight facilitating conditions prior to a 1:1 implementation. The conditions; (a) Dissatisfaction of the Status Quo, (b) Sufficient Knowledge and Skills, (c) Availability of Resources, (d) Availability of Time, (e) Rewards or Incentives, (f) Participation, (g) Commitment, and (h) Leadership, have been studied in K-12, higher education, and business industries but not specifically at the high school …

Exploring Factors Related To Acceptance Of 1:1 Devices Among High School Students, Victoria Therriault

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Studies show that students in lower socioeconomic status (SES) districts tend to have fewer resources, and in turn have greater achievement gaps than their affluent peers from neighboring districts. In an effort to bridge these gaps, schools have turned to 1:1 computing to bring electronic resources to their students that they might not have otherwise. However, to date there are minimal studies indicating whether or not high school students are willing to accept technology for classroom instructional purposes. This study examined the extent to which student demographic characteristics (e.g., sex, race/ethnicity, SES) are related to their acceptance of Chromebook use …

Adoption Of Plagiarism Detection Software By College Faculty, Patricia Meyer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the adoption level of a specific plagiarism detection software by college professors in a classroom environment. As universities and colleges struggle with the issue of plagiarism and maintaining high standards of integrity, technology tools have been created and provided to assist faculty in identifying if a student has plagiarized their work. The university that was used in this study provided plagiarism technology to their faculty known at Turnitin©. Turnitin© plagiarism software assist faculty in educating students on how to properly research and cite sources when completing their course work. The software is capable of detecting if a …

Determinants Related To Faculty Members’ Intention To Use Webinars For Professional Development Purposes, Ali Mohammed Saghir

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Professional development helps employees improve their skills and competencies for performing work-related tasks. It entails equipping workers with technical skills to enable them to use a new technology. However, institutions are still faced with challenges when integrating new technologies into their systems. It is important for the management of various institutions to inquire about employees’ readiness to adopt a change before implementing it to determine the level of possible resistance.

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the behavioral intention of faculty members on the use of webinars as a tool to receive professional development content at the …

The Impact Of Text Messaging On Students’ Academic Achievement In An Online Computing Course, Selom Assignon

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The problem of low student completion rates in distance learning courses remains one of the major issues that institutions of higher learning face. Efforts by school administrators to reverse this trend have so far produced mixed results. The rapid expansion of distance learning has encouraged many institutions to move more courses online, including computer programming courses. Using a randomized post-test-only experimental design method, this study examines how the use of a mobile phone text messaging application (Remind) as a two-way communication tool may help foster a learning environment that enhances interaction between students and instructors and increases student achievement.

The …