Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Administrative and Instructional Leadership

First Advisor

Stephen Kotok

Second Advisor

Catherine C DiMartino

Third Advisor

James C Coviello

Abstract

The purpose of this narrative study was to explore secondary ELA teachers’ perceptions of teaching and learning in a technology-rich educational environment. This study was conducted in a central high school district in New York state across four school buildings. Though the central high school district provides uniform guidance and material for the instructional programs in all high school buildings, the execution of instruction and teacher development happens daily in the buildings themselves. Though one district, each building serves distinct communities with pronounced school cultures stemming from varying student and faculty demographics, as well as building leadership. The researcher explored the lived experiences of teachers in these different settings through narrative inquiry methods. The researcher interviewed eight participants through three rounds of semi-structured interviews. In this study, which explored teacher perceptions of the use of educational technology and their relationship to the profession because of the incorporation of educational technology in their secondary ELA classrooms, the researcher found that intentional planning at the district, building, and individual level improves quality of instruction. Though this finding may seem self-evident, the experience of teachers suggests that it is not necessarily practiced when incorporating digital technology into classroom instruction. The researcher suggests that districts take a subtractive approach to implementing digital technology, so teachers can plan and execute intentional lessons that make the strongest use of all instructional tools.

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS