Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives on the Integration of Instructional Technology During COVID-19
type: CreativeWork
description: Background: In recent years, U.S. schools have adopted learning models actively encompassing instructional technology to foster 21st century skills. With the support of federal and state funding, districts and schools are expanding broadband internet access for schools and increasing student access to individual devices such as laptops and tablets which students use to connect to the internet, access digital resources, and complete school assignments. The technology industry is evolving to include equipment and programs designed for young learners. Purpose: Early childhood teachers have been slow to engage in technology integration within their learning environments. Barriers are characterized as extrinsic and intrinsic, and specifically include perceived ease of use, perceived value to student learning, lack of familiarity with technology, and teacher self-efficacy--each of which affect individual attitudes and beliefs about technology. This study will focus on participants’ barriers and their subsequent impacts upon participants’ attitudes and intentions to integrate instructional technology within the early childhood classroom. Proposed research questions are: 1) What are the participants’ attitudes toward use of instructional technology as a teaching tool within their classroom curricula? 2) How are the participants’ actions influenced by their own experiences with technology integration? 3) What challenges are identified and what was done to mitigate the challenges? Methods: This study is a basic qualitative study, which uses Braun & Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis and a 3-point semantic differential to understand the perspectives of the participants who were engaged in the process of integrating instructional technology in their learning environments. Participants represent a convenience sample. Participants are early childhood teachers at a Tier 2 public elementary school located within a large, urban, U.S. district, instructing students in a hybrid learnin…
abstract: Background: In recent years, U.S. schools have adopted learning models actively encompassing instructional technology to foster 21st century skills. With the support of federal and state funding, districts and schools are expanding broadband internet access for schools and increasing student access to individual devices such as laptops and tablets which students use to connect to the internet, access digital resources, and complete school assignments. The technology industry is evolving to include equipment and programs designed for young learners. Purpose: Early childhood teachers have been slow to engage in technology integration within their learning environments. Barriers are characterized as extrinsic and intrinsic, and specifically include perceived ease of use, perceived value to student learning, lack of familiarity with technology, and teacher self-efficacy--each of which affect individual attitudes and beliefs about technology. This study will focus on participants’ barriers and their subsequent impacts upon participants’ attitudes and intentions to integrate instructional technology within the early childhood classroom. Proposed research questions are: 1) What are the participants’ attitudes toward use of instructional technology as a teaching tool within their classroom curricula? 2) How are the participants’ actions influenced by their own experiences with technology integration? 3) What challenges are identified and what was done to mitigate the challenges? Methods: This study is a basic qualitative study, which uses Braun & Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis and a 3-point semantic differential to understand the perspectives of the participants who were engaged in the process of integrating instructional technology in their learning environments. Participants represent a convenience sample. Participants are early childhood teachers at a Tier 2 public elementary school located within a large, urban, U.S. district, instructing students in a hybrid learnin…
author: Brooks, Deidre Lodrig
language: eng
keywords: instructional technology, technology integration, early childhood, barriers, Covid 19
date published: 2021-12
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:32:58Z
provider: University of Houston
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Houston

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10657/9237