The purpose of this study was to understand teacher perceptions of technology preparedness in an urban elementary school. Gaining teacher perceptions of potential technology inequities for economically disadvantaged students provided insight into the problem of access, training, skills, and quality of available technology for these students. The study took place in Grade 3 at an elementary school in a Southern state with seven teachers who were the participants. The exploratory, qualitative case study was determined to be the most appropriate methodology for this research. Data were collected from the participants within a bound system of setting, time, population, and issue. The research was designed to gather the real-life experiences of the teachers through their responses to open-ended inquiries on the Teacher Demographic Survey, the Teacher Survey, and Teacher Interviews. An exploratory case study design was selected because this research was focused on the exploration of human behavior and individuals’ perspectives. Results were analyzed for trends and themes in answer to the three research questions seeking to understand the perceptions of teachers regarding technology use for economically disadvantaged students. Results from the teacher perceptions also identified available resources as well as changes needed in providing supportive digital resources. The population to benefit from this study involved students and educators including teachers, building and district administrators, local businesses, and parents.
| Date of Award | Jan 1 2023 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Karen Kill (Supervisor) & Kathleen Kardaras (Advisor) |
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