This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate (a) the impact of a one-to-one (1:1) netbook implementation on high school students’ perceptions of engagement in a North Texas School District and (b) to compare the results for students in this study with the results for students in the preceding study that was conducted at the middle school level (Chevallier, 2012) with regard to the change in perceptions of their engagement in school for students in the same school district. Today’s students have grown up in a world of technology. In 2009, a school district in north Texas implemented a 1:1 computer initiative by issuing netbook computers to all high school students. This study explores the change in students’ perceptions of their engagement after a 1:1 initiative. Measuring student engagement can be as challenging as establishing a consistent, or common, definition of the term. Engagement or levels of engagement are determined by the relationship and level of commitment between an individual and a task or activity (Azevedo, 2006). Dimensions or behaviors related to engagement were identified as academic, behavioral and emotional. To increase student engagement in relevant learning experiences, schools have invested significantly in a variety of tools and resources. One such tool is the integration of technology—specifically computer devices issued in a 1:1 implementation. This study considered the impact of a 1:1 implementation on student’s perceptions of their engagement related to learning. Findings from the study indicated a positive change in high schools students’ perceptions of their engagement with the 1:1 netbook implementation. The findings conducted at the middle school level (Chevallier, 2012) also indicated a positive change, but not at the same level as the high school students.
| Date of Award | Jan 1 2013 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Karen D. Bowser (Supervisor), Nydia Cummings (Advisor) & Mary Ann Lowe (Advisor) |
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