Utilization and integration of technology by teachers: A case study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning process of teachers as they begin to implement an innovation. The research problem was based on the need to understand better the processes by which teachers come to integrate technology into their instructional practices. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (Hall, Wallace, & Dossett, 1973) provided the conceptual framework for facilitating change in teachers\u27 use of technology to support instructional practices. The constructivist approach to learning characterized the setting for the courses-Introduction to Technology for Teachers (ITT) and Software Applications, Teaching Methods, and Software Development for Teachers ( AMDT). Teachers learned basic computer operations/concepts and applied them for their own professional growth, productivity, and instructional practices. This study required a methodology that allowed for individual thought and expression to be recorded and analyzed. Qualitative methods were of particular value in view of the fact that comments reveal how people come to understand what they experience (Stake, 1995). Triangulation (Denzin, 1989, p.13) of multiple data assisted in strengthening the general findings. The study focused on the following questions: (1) How do teachers\u27 stages of concerns about technology change after completing ITTand AMDT? (2) How do teachers\u27 levels of technology use change after completing ITT and AMDT? (3) How do teachers\u27 integrate technology after completing ITT and AMDT? Findings revealed that teachers\u27 stages of concerns and levels of use were changing from “self” concerns and use to “task and impact” concerns and use. Teachers were moving from “thinking about how to use” technology to “using” technology to meet their needs. Stage of concern interventions were found to facilitate teachers\u27 changes. Effective technology integration was found to be accomplished when each teacher identified, designed, developed, and delivered his or her own meaningful application. These findings may provide others with new perspectives in studying, facilitating, and sustaining teachers\u27 changes in instructional practices supported by technology