Phenomenological Investigation of Elementary School Teachers Who Successfully Integrated Instructional Technology Into the Classroom

Technology integration in school curricula promotes student achievement, yet many teachers are not successfully integrating technology for learning. This phenomenological study explored the strategies of 10 elementary teachers in Georgia who overcame barriers to technology integration to successfully incorporate lessons within the public school curriculum. To understand the successes, we assessed strategies for overcoming barriers, intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, and professional development experiences. Rogers’s innovation-decision process provided the theoretical foundation and data sources consisted of an open-ended questionnaire and two in-depth, semistructured interviews. Data were coded for preliminary categories, and themes were generated using open coding. Despite common barriers, the findings suggested that critical factors for successful integration included moderate technical skills, self-motivation to engage in instructional technology, supportive peer communication channels, and flexibility in approaches for planned lesson