Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Secondary Teachers Instructing In One-To-One Computing Classrooms

Abstract

The educational system is changing to meet the needs of 21st century learners, technology integration has become critical in meeting that need. One-to-one computing may close the digital gap that exists and equips students with the skills necessary for success in the 21st century workplace (Lemke & Martin, 2004). While much research exists on the implementation of oneto- one initiatives, further research is needed to explain the teacher’s experiences and perspectives in teaching in such environments in order to investigate effective and successful learning in the classroom. Using a phenomenological methodology, I explored teachers’ lived experiences (Moustakas, 1994) in teaching in a one-to-one computing environment. Analyses of the data revealed six definitve key themes from the teachers’ perspectives of teaching in a one-to-one environment. Those six themes were as follows: 1. Comfort Level with Technological Knowledge. 2. Importance of the Internet. 3. Student Social Skills and Communication. 4. Student Behavior and Classroom Management. 5. Student Accountability and Work Completion. 6. Assessment Practices. Teacher participants revealed that they lacked the knowledge and experience to use technology effectively to enhance the learning process of students. Teachers expressed appreciation for accessibility to information, student accountability, and customization of assessments and grading practices. Classroom management and student communication and social skills were deemed to be impacted negatively by some teacher participants. Further research should look at the implications of differentiated professional development, gender differences among teachers when implementing one-to-one computing, and research in technology integration using the Puentedura’s (2012) SAMR Model would benefit educational institutions as well as educators in setting the goal of attaining the “redefinition” phase of technology integration.