Date of Award

Winter 12-14-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Dr. Tamerin Capellino

Second Advisor

Dr. Stephen Hanke

Third Advisor

Dr. Joseph Ovick

Abstract

Despite a growing awareness of the importance of technology in education, increased investment and attention to preparing teachers to integrate technology into the classroom, research shows that technology continues to fail to live up to its potential for transforming education. As schools move from standards based testing to implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), an expectation exists that teachers will be using technology to transform their teaching practices. There is also an expectation that schools are providing students with 21st century skills, including the use of technology. In exploring the reasons teachers are not using technology effectively, much of the research focuses on teacher beliefs. One of the biggest barriers identified by the research is that teachers lack confidence in their own abilities to use technology. Because younger teachers are more comfortable with the use of technology, there is an assumption that new teachers will be better equipped to integrate technology. The purpose of this study was to use the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to compare the readiness of beginning teachers to integrate technology with the readiness of experienced teachers. The survey, measuring their knowledge in the different TPACK domains, was administered to teachers within six school districts in Contra Costa County, CA. The results of the survey were then analyzed to examine the differences between the TPACK scores of beginning teachers and those of more experienced teachers. The study found that there was a negative correlation that was statistically significant between years of teaching experience with technology knowledge, and a positive correlation that was statistically significant in the TPACK domains of content knowledge, pedagogy knowledge, and pedagogical and content knowledge. The data also showed that there was a significant difference in the TPACK scores of beginning teachers and experienced teachers in the TPACK domains of technological knowledge, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. Finally, the data showed that there were significant differences in the correlations between TPACK scores of beginning teachers and experienced in some but not all of the TPACK domains.

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