Technology Use and Training of Selected High School Principal in the Commonwealth of Virginia

The purpose of this study is to identify the perceptions of selected high school principals regarding their use of technology and technology related professional development. The design of the study is based on the phenomenological study approach in which the lived experiences of a small number of people is investigated (Rossman & Rallis, 2003). This study used a qualitative methodology in which the researcher conducted interviews of nine current high school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Using the qualitative method of interviewing allowed the individuals to completely describe their personal feelings and beliefs towards technology professional development. Personal responses tend to provide increased detail and reasoning for practices and experiences, and provides a way for researchers to understand the meaning of the participant's behavior (Seidman, 2006). Investigating the technology use and the technology related professional development of selected high school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia provides further insight into the technology needs of current high school principals as well as the technology related professional development that makes their jobs more efficient. Six findings were identified from this research study, including: (a) participating high school principals use technology on average twenty three to twenty-six hours per week, including the weekends; (b) participating high school principals use technology for administrative uses such as staying in communication with the school community, and analyzing data in order to review student attendance and performance on standardized assessments; (c) participating high school principals use technology for instructional uses such as modeling instructional technology to the faculty and staff and being familiar with the same instructional technology that is being used in the classroom (d) participating high school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia receive technology related training if it is the same technology that is being used in the classrooms of their respective buildings; (e) participating high school principals feel it was important to participate in some type of technology related professional development; and (f) participating high school principals feel that technology related professional development was necessary in order to have a better understanding of financing technology, learning about hardware and software, and relaying the importance of staying "current" in technology. This study contains several implications for future educational leaders. The implications are that school and division leaders should recognize the importance of (a) including in the job description the expectation that high school principals use technology; (b) providing professional development for using technology to review instructional data, and maintain contact with the school community; (c) providing professional development for instructional technology so that principals will be considered the instructional technology leaders for their respective buildings; (d) high school principals having knowledge of the instructional technology that is being used within classrooms, and be able to model it for the faculty and school community; (e) high school principals participating in technology related professional development in order to complete their administrative and instructional responsibilities; and (f) developing technology professional development plans that describe the financial responsibility of technology within a school, and provide specific details on the importance of the selection of hardware and software.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Department dc:contributor.department

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Gordon, John B. III

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Twiford, Travis W.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Cash, Carol S.
• Earthman, Glen I.
• Craig, James Richard

• administrative technology
• instructional technology

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-04122012-151325

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/37607