Date of Award

2011

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

College

Graduate School of Education and Professional Development

Type of Degree

Ed.D.

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Ronald B. Childress

Second Advisor

Lisa A. Heaton

Third Advisor

Sandra Bailey

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of a school-based, jobembedded professional development program on elementary and middle school teacher efficacy for technology integration. Teacher efficacy has been identified as a strong predictor of whether the content of professional development will transfer to classroom practice (Bandura, 1997). Using a conversion mixed methods quasi-experimental research design, qualitative data were collected from the experimental groups’ journal postings. Grappling’s Technology and Learning Spectrum (Porter, 2002) was used to convert this qualitative data into quantitative data to determine the change in levels of technology integration in classroom practice. The Computer Technology Integration Survey (Wang, 2004) was used to determine differences in efficacy levels for technology integration between the experimental and comparison groups. Study findings indicated there was no statistically significant change in teachers’levels of technology integration after participation in a school-based, job-embedded professional development program. However, statistically significant differences in levels of efficacy for technology integration between teachers who participated in a school-based, job-embedded professional development program and those who had notwere found. Additionally, study findings indicated statistically significant differences in the experimental group’s levels of efficacy for technology integration based on whether teachers taught in an elementary or middle school and whether teachers taught multisubjects or a single subject. Finally, there was no statistically significant relationship between efficacy for technology integration and technology integration in classroom practice for those teachers who participated in the professional development program.

Subject(s)

Professional development for teachers.

Educational technology.

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