Changes in teacher perception and practice which occur with the implementation of personalized learning using technology

ABSTRACT CHANGES IN TEACHER PERCEPTION AND PRACTICE WHICH OCCUR WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PERSONALIZED LEARNING USING TECHNOLOGY In recent years, the influence of technology and educational legislation have generated a desire for a transformation in education. As schools strive to move from the traditional factory-like model of instruction in which students learn the same things at the same time and in the same way, personalized learning (PL) has emerged as a model of instruction to meet student needs. Students will move into life needing to make choices on how to set goals and objectives and solve problems successfully by finding and using the resources that are available. To prepare students for the future, classroom instruction and student learning should better match how it will be in the real world. In the real world, jobs and activities are individualized and personalized. If the ultimate goal is to prepare students for the future, students need to know how to set goals, make choices, self-regulate, and persevere while creating an understanding and connection about the content that makes sense to the student in the world around them. Teachers need to be informed and prepared with the right tools and resources to meet student needs and be able to personalize instruction and learning to make it relevant and meaningful for students. For many teachers, they have had little to no exposure to directing instruction while personalizing learning, so the task is not a natural or easy one. While legislation and research are suggesting that PL is a model that will work in education, the shift in perspective can seem insurmountable when the traditional model has been the collective way of teaching and learning for decades. This qualitative study was designed to explore the changes in teacher perspective and practice which occur with the implementation of PL while using technology as a platform to hold curriculum with students in a general education classroom. The researcher explored the knowledge and skills that are necessary to implement PL in the general education setting, the changes that have occurred as teachers have moved from a traditional model to a personalized model, along with the perceived successes and challenges regarding the implementation of PL while using technology as a tool. The participants in this study were teachers from three different elementary schools in a large suburban school district. All of the teachers were in the first year of implementing a PL program in their classroom as a part of a grade level wide implementation at their school. The teachers participated in focus groups and then one-on-one interviews to express perceptions and share their own personal stories of implementing PL in the general education setting. The focus groups and interviews were recorded and transcribed before being analyzed. The findings were presented in table and narrative form. The findings of the study identified the knowledge and skills the teachers perceive as necessary to implement PL, such as the teacher mindset, collaboration, content/standard knowledge, technology skills, training, student/teacher relationships, and management. The teachers shared stories to describe the changes that have occurred along with the perceived successes and challenges as teachers move to a PL model. The findings could be used to help other educators prepare for implementation of PL in their schools