Publication Date
5-2011
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Dr. Marge Maxwell (Chair), Dr. Tony Norman, Dr. Nedra Atwell, Dr. Chris Wagner
Degree Program
Educational Leadership Doctoral Program
Degree Type
Doctor of Education
Abstract
One-to-one laptop programs are becoming more prevalent across the world in K-12 institutions. School districts are searching for more engaging tools that seek to have impact on school success, such as grade achievement, college/career preparation, and/or 21st-century skill preparation and attainment. Additionally, boards of education continuously want some positive indication of the return on their substantial financial investment.
This study utilized surveys of three important stakeholder groups (parents, students, and teachers) related to a one-to-one laptop project in a moderately-sized rural Midwestern school district. Perceptions about how often laptops were used in the classroom setting and across content areas (Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science) were explored. Finally, the same respondents were asked to identify their perceptions about how laptop computers had a positive or negative impact on quarterly grade averages within these same content areas. Results were extrapolated and associated with the Rogers‟ Innovation Continuum (Innovator, Early Adopter, Early Majority, Late Majority).
Data indicated significant mean differences in perceptions among the three groups in terms of use. Teachers believed students were using laptops more often than students or parents reported their use. Nearly all groups reported Mathematics as the area with lowest amount of use and Science as the area with the highest. Almost all three groups believed laptops had little to no effect on quarterly grade averages. Mathematics teachers, however, believed laptops had a decidedly negative effect.
The data seemed to indicate a need for additional teacher training on best practices for implementing laptops within the content areas, as well as specific attention paid to mathematics instructors. Further, the school district was mapped to an Early Adopter on the Rogers‟ scale. This indicates a need for further implementation and refinement if it is to be an accepted part of the educational culture.
Disciplines
Communication Technology and New Media | Technology and Innovation
Recommended Citation
Constant, Matthew D., "One-to-One Laptop Project: Perceptions of Teachers, Parents, and Students" (2011). Dissertations. Paper 5.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/diss/5