One-to-One Learning: Teacher Perception

Article Analysis Four for EDUA 6376

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Introduction

With one-to-one computing making more frequent appearances in modern classrooms, it is important to begin looking at the benefits this kind of environment contributes to learning. While there is substantial research that demonstrates changes happening in teaching and learning in these 1:1 environments, there is little data supporting the impact this approach has on instructional success. In an effort to truly understand how impactful 1:1 computing can be for students, we must begin looking at and listening to the main characters in the game of education.

Research Questions

In looking at implementing a one-to-one initiative for learning, it is extremely important to consider the perceptions of education’s largest stakeholders-teachers. There has been numerous research done that proves that a teacher’s perception on the uses of technology can have a direct impact on its ability to improve learning. In the article titled Educator Perspectives on the Instructional Effects of One-to-one Computing Implementation researchers collected data on how technology has changed classroom practices and how a 1:1 implementation has improved learning in a private, Catholic high school located in central Illinois. The researchers took a mixed methods approach in order to collect data that answered three research questions:

1. What are the educators’ perceived changes in student learning during the implementation of a one-to-one technology program?

2. What possible teaching and learning changes took place during the implementation of a one-to-one technology program?

3. What are the experiences of educators who implement a one-to-one technology program?

Quantitative Data

To collect quantitative data, 26 educators participated in Likert style surveys in order to survey student learning. When asked if they believed that the 1:1 implementation had improved learning, most of the participants agreed that learning had improved some. When asked how devices were used in the classroom, the majority of teachers said they used them in class every day. It was also determined through the surveys that most of the teachers used the devices to access digital course materials such as textbooks. I was surprised to learn that very few teachers used technology for formative and summative assessments. The final piece of quantitative data that was collected evaluated the teachers’ observations of changes in student learning. The majority of the participants strongly disagreed with the idea that students experienced fewer distractions since the technology was implemented. However, many of them agreed that students were able to use technology more fluently, demonstrated better organizational skills, and were more likely to ask for help from a peer since the implementation.

Qualitative Data

In order to incorporate qualitative data within the study, the researchers chose to interview three educators who were teaching before, during, and after the implementation. The experience of the teachers range from 4 years to 30 years and cover a variety of subjects. When asked how often devices were used in class, two of the three teachers reported that their students used devices daily for various reasons. The third teacher, who teaches math, indicated her students rarely used devices. When asked what the students used the devices for, one teacher indicated they were mostly used for accessing digital resources, while another stated students use their device for note taking, internet research, and accessing digital learning materials. The third teacher who rarely has students use devices said the only time her students use them is to access a calculator application because they forgot to bring a traditional calculator to class.

The trio were then asked to compare learning before and after the integration of devices. One teacher indicated that she felt the devices had no impact on learning, another stated it was hard to tell because of so many varying variables, and the third believed that the devices contributed tremendously to the learning environment of the classroom. When asked about what other factors should be considered in the study, all three teachers expressed that professional development on proper use of technology was drastically needed in order to properly tie it into learning. Two of them expressed concern about student work ethic due to technology, while the other teacher believes that technology itself is not powerful, but technology in the hands of the right teacher can transform learning.

Conclusion

By the end of the study, I found the recurring theme that proper professional development can improve teacher confidence on implementing technology in learning, thus improving a teacher’s perception on the effects one-to-one implementation can have. I have read a plethora of research articles that have either merely mentioned or gone into detail on how important an educator’s role is in successfully improving learning through technology. This article proved to be no different and fully supported the notion that technology in the hands of the right teacher has the power to transform the teaching and learning environment.

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Reference

Lawrence, A. C., Al-Bataineh, A. T., & Hatch, D. (2018). Educator Perspectives on the Instructional Effects of One-to-one Computing Implementation. Contemporary Educational Technology, 9(2), 206-224. doi:https://doi.org/10.30935/cet.414950