Educational technologies occupy a significant and high profile position within higher education with some technologies widely used across the sector. However, although the use of new technologies is often encouraged through institutional policy, training and funding, there is significant variation in actual practices - especially with regards to teaching and learning. Research on teacher thinking suggests that this variation is related to university teachers‟ beliefs and knowledge about technology and learning. A mixed-methods approach was used to investigate university teachers‟ thinking about their use of technology. The first stage of data collection was a quantitative survey of 795 higher education teachers from a sample of 27 UK universities. This identified institutional and subject-related differences in teachers‟ perceptions of impact and use of particular technologies in their teaching. The second stage of data collection was a qualitative multi-site case study of eleven university teachers from three universities that identified their perceptions and beliefs about technology and the contexts in which they act. It investigated how these individuals formed and reinterpreted their beliefs about technology and how they made decisions about when and how to use (or not use) technology. The thesis shows how university teachers‟ thinking about technology is situated in the culture and contexts in which they live and work. It explores the relationships between pedagogic beliefs, beliefs about technology and teachers‟ perceptions of „control‟ over how they use technology. It identifies how some teachers used technology to communicate their personality and build relationships with students but, also, how some used technologies despite believing that these did not have a positive effect on student learning. It shows how, in making sense of their use of technology, academics draw on multiple sources including understandings of the impact of technology on culture and society, perceptions of higher education and their institution, their subject disciplinary background and their identity as teachers and academics.

This study investigated the value of technology education to elementary school students’ learning of technology concepts and processes as a result of technology education experiences. The research questions were (1) How do elementary school students learn technology concepts as a result of technology education experiences?, (2) How do elementary school students learn technology processes as a result of technology education experiences?, and (3) What are elementary school students’ beliefs and attitudes toward technology and technology activities? This study employed a qualitative research methodology. Evidence has been collected from several major sources for five months: participant observation; semi-structured interviews with students and teacher; and documents including students’ journals, notebooks, written works, and the teacher’s handouts. I presented the evidence through using inductive analysis and interpreted the evidence through the lens of the constructivist perspective. The findings revealed that technology education provided elementary school students with a constructivist learning context. Elementary school students were introduced to meaningful hands-on activities of technology education and encouraged to involve themselves in creative problem solving processes and social interactions. In addition, they conceptualized technology as making, invention, new things, and computers and perceived technology and technology activities as fun and exciting. This study has two major implications for educational practice and further study. First, classroom teachers’ efforts are needed to bridge the gap between elementary school classrooms and cognitive science throughout technology education activities. Second, continued examination of students’ learning of technology concepts and processes is needed in order to investigate the value of ESTE.

This study determined the level of computer use for instructional purposes by technology education teachers in Ohio public schools. The study also investigated the relationships between the level of use and selected factors: expertise; access; attitude; support; and teacher characteristics. This study derived its theoretical framework from Rogers’ (1995) model of diffusion of innovations. A survey-correlation research design was used. A questionnaire was developed and mailed to all technology education teachers (N = 1170) in Ohio public schools in the 2002–2003 school year. Validity and reliability were established for the survey instrument. The return rate of the survey was 66%. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used. The findings of this study indicated that technology education teachers have high levels of computer use in mainstream computer uses such as word processing, e-mail, Internet, and classroom management. Strong positive correlation existed between the level of computer use and teachers’ perceived expertise and teachers’ perceived attitude toward computers as tools. In addition, moderate positive correlation existed between the level of use and teachers’ perceived access to computers. Multiple regression analysis indicated a positive predictive value toward computer use with the demographic characteristics of instructional experience and modular instructional method, and a negative predictive value with age and urban geographic location. The independent variables that explain the greatest amount of variation in the level of computer use were in order of predictive value: teachers’ perceived expertise, attitude, and access. Technology education teachers have high levels of computer use in mainstream applications and low levels of computer use in specialized applications. These levels of use are slightly lower than the state levels. Those teachers that possess expertise are the ones who use the computer for instructional purposes. Positive attitudes toward computers as tools provide a starting point for adoption of computer use. To increase computer use, technology education teachers need to be given more training. In-service training needs to be a top priority. Pre-service programs should include more courses in using computers as tools for teaching and learning.

In this inquiry it is argued that examining teacher issues and needs is profoundly important in understanding the successes and failures in the process of integrating technology into education. Given this argument, the study sought to understand those issues and needs by exploring the implementation process of four teacher educators involved in an implementation grant whose goals were to integrate technology into teacher education programs. This qualitative study (1) described the issues and needs of four teacher educators; (2) examined the processes in which the teacher educators engaged to transform their pedagogy; (3) analyzed what impeded or encouraged a beneficial transformation of pedagogy; and (4) reflected critically upon my role as a researcher-technologist-graduate student in this process. Based upon participant observation, unstructured interviews, weekly group meetings, material culture, and a researcher log, it was seen that the teacher educators implemented a variety of technological processes. Such processes were faculty development, technology exploration in the classroom, asynchronous communication, and on-line courseware. The inquiry found that the teacher educators experienced issues and needs that directly affected the success or failure of their technology attempts. Such issues were time, relevance, centrality, community, and money. It was also asserted that the researcher was often conflicted in her role as a researcher, a graduate student, and an educator. These roles often contradicted each other and affected the manner in which interaction among participants occurred. Further, it was hypothesized that the technological goals for the researcher often varied from those of the teacher educators, and it was asserted that understanding the teachers’ goals, objectives, and philosophical beliefs are essential to a technologist – teacher relationship. Conclusions drawn in this study regarding the teachers’ evolution of technology integration were slightly different from previous findings for K-12 educators. Other findings discuss lessons learned and recommendations for similar technological attempts in teacher education programs. A main conclusion of this study was that understanding the needs and issues of teachers is essential in the success of technology integration in education.

This study examined student's perceptions of different forms of technology use for instruction purposes by faculty and whether these different forms of technology can predict instructional quality. The study sought to explore whether different forms of technology: Productivity Tools, Presentation Tools, Communication Tools, and World Wide Web Tools, reliably predict instructional quality. The study also aimed at examining which of the predictors is more important in predicting instructional quality. Data were collected with an online questionnaire comprising three parts. Part I of the instrument collected demographic information. Part II was designed to measure faculty instructional quality as perceived by students. Part III of the instrument relates to the various forms of technology and the seven principles of good practice in undergraduate education (Chickering and Gamson, 1991). A large Midwestern University Teacher Education program was the accessible population from which a convenient sample was drawn. A total of 121 responses were used in the analysis. The response rate of the study was 56.6%. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results of the analysis revealed that approximately 57% of the variance of the student evaluation of Instructional Quality can be accounted for by the linear combination of Productivity Tools, Presentation Tools, Communication Tools, and World Wide Web Tools. The analysis indicated that only two of the independent variables, Productivity Tools and Presentation Tools contributed significantly to the regression. Findings from the supplementary multiple regression analysis of the independent variables: Faculty encourages student and faculty interaction scale - S1, Faculty promotes cooperation among students scale - S2, Faculty promotes active learning techniques scale - S3, Faculty gives prompt feedback scale S4, Faculty emphasizes time on task scale - S5, Faculty communicates high expectations scale - S6 and Faculty respects diverse talents and ways of learning scale - S7 was statistically significant in predicting Instructional Quality. Thirty seven percent of the variance of the student evaluation of Instructional Quality can be accounted for by the linear combination of; S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 and S7 scale. Findings from the null hypothesis and the supplementary analysis converge to indicate combination of Productivity Tools, Presentation Tools, Communication Tools, and World Wide Web Tools can predict Instructional Quality. Among the predictors Presentation Tool emerged as the most important predictor of Instructional Quality. The combination of the independent variables S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 and S7 was statistically significant in predicting Instructional Quality.

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There is a growing trend within secondary and post-secondary institutions to offer information technology (IT) certification programs as instructional vehicles to provide students with viable skills needed by the workforce, to satisfy state skill standards, and to prepare students for postsecondary IT studies. The use of IT certification programs in a formal education setting carries a number of salient issues and implications for educational institutions, IT teachers, administrators, students, and, ultimately, the IT workforce. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceived attitudes toward IT certification programs; the perceived need for a particular type of IT certification program; and the perceived need for a state-wide IT certification data collection effort among secondary school educators and business and industry IT professionals in Ohio. Additionally, this study investigated effects of selected demographic characteristics on perceived levels of attitude and need surrounding IT certification in secondary education. The population for this study utilized a census of three different populations that consisted of: a) all IT teachers in the state of Ohio working at either comprehensive high schools or area career centers, b) all principals in the state of Ohio, associated with the IT teachers, and c) all business and industry IT professionals from the state of Ohio who participated in the development of IT skill standards for the Ohio Department of Education during the 2005-2006 academic year. Three parallel descriptive cross-sectional questionnaires were developed by the researcher and sent out to IT teachers, principals, and business and industry IT professionals. The study showed: a significant difference in attitude toward IT certification programs between educators and IT professionals; a perceived need for vendor-neutral certifications programs that prepare individuals to work in multi-vendor environments; and confirmed a high perceived need for a centralized data source on IT certification program and student data. The findings also indicated that while teachers and IT professionals showed no significant differences among males and females on perceived attitude toward IT certification, principals showed significant differences. Strong significant differences were found between certified and non-certified IT professionals on perceived attitude toward IT certification.

Leveraging big data for student data analytics is increasingly integrated throughout university operations from admissions to advising to teaching and learning. Though the possibilities are exciting to consider, they are not without risks to student autonomy, privacy, equity, and educational value. There has been little research showing how universities address such ethical issues in their student data policies and procedures to date though privacy and security policies are abundant. Though privacy and security policies that students sign cover institutions legally, there is more that can be done to support the ethical use of student data analytics at higher education institutions. This exploratory study addressed why it is important to support the four values of autonomy, privacy, equity, and educational value within university student data analytics policies and procedures. A rationale for focusing on these values was discussed through the lens of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. A comparative case analysis of data analytics policies and procedures at two large, public universities provided insight into what they emphasized and where risks to student autonomy, privacy, equity, and educational value existed. This study concluded with recommendations of how institutional leadership can use proposed principles of ethical student data analytics to evaluate their own policies and procedures and amend risks that are uncovered through analysis.

Most evaluation activities are initiated during times of crises when resource constraints compel attention towards using evaluation as a strategy to do more with less. In other words, evaluations tend to gain attention when resources are limited and there is a need to ration the amount of resources that can be invested towards any project or program. However, to leverage evaluation organizations must develop evaluation capacity; which is challenging under resources constraints. The overarching goal of this study is to articulate how Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) initiatives in a higher education institution, under resource constraints, could be designed and/or aligned to facilitate fulfillment of institutional needs for optimum resource utilization, innovation for cultivating impactful programs, and transformation of culture from a low focus to high focus on evaluation. This goal insinuates examination of existing resources, systems, structures, and opportunities for building evaluation capacity and promoting evaluation activities. Therefore, this dissertation takes a three paper approach where the first paper introduces the idea of Setting up For Evaluation (SFE), a strategy that helps build evaluation capacity while conducting evaluation in a limited resources context. The second paper illustrates the concept of SFE using a case study approach. Finally, the third paper provides aggregated insights into some of the barriers that inhibit evaluation and facilitators that augment evaluation and concludes with recommendations for enhancing evaluation capacity within the research context

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative research case study was to analyze the impact that an integration lesson plan, used as part of the TPACK professional development model, might have on the use of technology in the instructional practices of seven classroom teachers. The study also analyzed what impact the lesson plan might have on these teachers’ beliefs and perceptions about the role of technology in the classroom. A constant comparative method of data analysis was used to analyze the data and identify patterns and themes. Two research questions guided this study: 1) What impact, if any, does ongoing professional development using a TPACK supported model have on the use of technology in the instructional practices of classroom teachers? 2) What impact, if any, does ongoing professional development using a TPACK supported model have on these teachers’ beliefs about the role of technology in the classroom? Data analysis of the first research question identified three broad areas of impact using the model: instructional planning process, use of assessment practices, and awareness of technological limitations. Data analysis of the second research question identified two significant categories on participants’ beliefs. It was an effective way to motivate students while reaching the participants’ goals. Second, participants now believed that they would include technology as a standard feature in their future classroom instruction. Results of the study found that educators who were introduced to and aided in the use of a TPACK supported model for technology integration were able to use technology more effectively.