Date of Award

Fall 2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership

First Advisor

Kimberly Kimbell-Lopez

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the level of technology integration of fourth and eighth grade teachers in eleven rural school districts in northeastern Louisiana related to student achievement in reading and mathematics.

The sample consisted of 123 fourth and eighth grade teachers and their students from the eleven rural school districts in northeastern Louisiana. Fifty-eight percent of the teachers represented the fourth grade and 42% of the teachers represented the eighth grade. The teachers served a school age population in which 20% or more was from families with incomes below the poverty line.

Mean scores from the students' Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century (LEAP 21) were collected together with teacher demographic variables—teachers' ages, years of experience, highest degrees earned, certification status, levels of technology integration, current instructional practices, and personal computer use. Pearson correlation was used to determine if there was any significant relationship between the teacher's level of technology integration and the class means for reading and mathematics as well as for the demographic data. Regression analysis was used to determine if the level of technology use and the teacher demographic data would predict the LEAP 21 reading and mathematics mean scores in grades 4 and 8.

The data analysis from the study suggested that few hypotheses could be rejected due to the lack of significant relationships found. The results showed that the eighth grade teacher's age is related to the teacher's level of technology integration; therefore, the older the teacher, the less likely that the teacher is to integrating technology in the classroom. The fourth grade teacher's certification status was related to the teacher's level of technology integration, meaning certified teachers were less likely to integrate technology into their classrooms. An eighth grade teacher's highest degree earned when using mathematics as the dependent variable is related to the teacher's level of technology integration, meaning the higher the education of the teacher, the less likely he or she will integrate technology into the classroom.

The lack of statistically significant differences between the teacher's level of technology integration and student achievement indicates that technology does not have an impact on students' achievement in these school districts. Impact on student achievement typically takes place when teachers use technology for more than just “drill and practice.” Unfortunately, students will continue to perform at the Approaching Basic level if teachers are not properly trained using technology that will impact student achievement in their classrooms.

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