A Study of West Virginia P-12 Teachers\u27 Use of the Internet as a Professional and Instructional Tool

This study examines West Virginia P-12 teachers’ use of the Internet as a professional and instructional tool. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather descriptive data. Based on an extensive review of the literature, the researcher developed survey included 30 questions on the use of the Internet by teachers as a professional tool and by their students as an instructional tool. Two hundred forty-two West Virginia P-12 public school teachers participated in the study with fourteen participating in interviews. Interviews provided anecdotal information of teachers’ experiences in finding, creating, and using the Internet for professional and instructional activities. Findings based on survey results are presented using the support of qualitative feedback from interviews. This study found respondents’ most common use of the Internet as a professional tool was to find supplemental information for lessons and as an instructional tool was to have their students find information and/or resources. When comparing the 30 professional and instructional use questions to the demographic information, three areas that showed significant differences were participation in West Virginia Internet initiatives, the participant’s identification of the greatest barrier to using the Internet, and the school’s percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch. No significant differences between the professional and instructional questions and age of respondents, years of teaching experience, and how the participants obtained their Internet knowledge were found