An Instrumental Exploratory Case Study on Educators’ Perceptions of Professional Development for 1:1 Technology Use

Authors

Keywords:

constructivist learning environment, constructivist learning theory, professional development, 1:1 technology, technology acceptance model, educational technology

Abstract

Professional development is necessary for the effective use of technology in the constructivist learning environment. Indiana’s fifth through eighth-grade public educators were not provided adequate professional development on how to use 1:1 technology in a constructivist learning environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role professional development plays with 1:1 technology use in the constructivist learning environments of Indiana’s fifth through eighth-grade public classrooms. There was a gap in research related to perceptions of Indiana’s fifth through eighth-grade educators on the role of training for technology implementation in a constructivist learning environment. The technology acceptance model (TAM) and constructivist learning theory (CLT) served as the basis for the theoretical framework. The study’s qualitative data was analyzed through inductive, thematic analysis. Research questions focused on the role of technology in Indiana’s fifth through eighth-grade classrooms and the benefits of professional development for using technology in constructivism. Participants taught core subjects in Indiana’s fifth through eighth-grade classrooms and had three years of teaching experience at a school implementing 1:1 technology. Data collection from 15 educators occurred on Zoom using semi-structured interviews and a focus group. Analysis revealed a lack of district-provided technology training, the advantages and prominent role of technology, its contributions to constructivism, and the prominence of constructivism in the classroom. Future studies could investigate educators beyond Indiana in grades K through 12 and use an alternate theoretical framework such as TPACK.

Author Biographies

Chad LeDune

Dr. LeDune currently works for Southwest School Corporation in Sullivan, Indiana helping educators implement STEM education. He has enjoyed partnerships with the Chinese Education Connection, Dolphin STEM Academy, and the Indiana Migrant Education Program. A 20-year veteran classroom educator, Dr. LeDune believes that the right mindset enables life’s ups and downs to mold us into the best version of ourselves. Chad is passionate about empowering people to step outside their comfort zones and into personal and professional growth. Dr. LeDune holds a Master’s Degree in STEM Leadership, a Master’s Certification in STEM Education, and an EdD in Instructional Technology. In 2020, Chad wrote his book Discomfort by Design, promoting an instructional model that fosters academic, life, and social skills in all students. 

Barry Chametzky, American College of Education

Dr. Barry Chametzky earned his Ph.D. in Education from Northcentral University with specializations in educational technology, e-learning, and classic grounded theory. He holds graduate degrees in Music (Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College), French (Middlebury College), and Foreign Language education (University of Pittsburgh). Dr. Chametzky is an active researcher in the fields of andragogy, e-learning, anxiety and online foreign language acquisition, and classic grounded theory with numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters to his credit. For 10 years, he was a peer reviewer and the copyeditor for the Grounded Theory Review, an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to classic grounded theory; as of March 2023, he became the editor of the Grounded Theory Review. Dr. Chametzky is a Fellow at the Grounded Theory Institute, facilitates online learning with master’s and doctoral students in various fields of education, and serves as a dissertation chairperson to a number of candidates.

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Published

2023-12-21

How to Cite

LeDune, C., & Chametzky, B. (2023). An Instrumental Exploratory Case Study on Educators’ Perceptions of Professional Development for 1:1 Technology Use. Journal of Educational Technology and Instruction, 3(1), 14–28. Retrieved from https://ijeti-edu.org/index.php/ijeti/article/view/72

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Vol. 3 No. 1 (2024): Journal of Educational Technology and Instruction

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Copyright (c) 2023 Dr. Chad LeDune, Dr. Barry Chametzky

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