An and Reigeluth (2011) conducted a study assessing the perceptions of teachers in infusing technology into their classrooms. The study focuses primarily on learner-centered classrooms which includes components such as self-regulation, authentic learning experiences, and personalized learning for students. The authors used a 5-point likert scale to collect responses through an online survey and an open-ended portion to allow participants to share their own opinions and experiences. In all, 126 participants completed the survey from 27 different schools throughout this study. Teachers expressed positive attitudes towards technology integration and felt it was part of their responsibility as an educator to integrate technology into their curriculum. In scope of learner-centered instruction (LCI), overwhelmingly teachers expressed their desire to implement LCI but also shared the challenges they see in implementation consistently in the classroom. The authors propose changes to professional development workshops to address concerns among educators to help bridge technology to the curriculum and instruction within teachers’ classrooms. Ideas like more training on LCI and displaying connections of pedagogy to technology allows teachers to not only learn how to implement these strategies but get confidence in doing so through hands-on workshops.

When I applied for this program, it was on the back of a call-to-action I felt many of my colleagues who have been in the career for 15+ years are having difficulty with a lack of technological literacy. Of all the articles this semester I have annotated this semester, I feel this one has spoken to me the most. While the study found teachers overwhelmingly are supportive in infusing technology, this is not something I have experienced within my own school. This sentence specifically is something I am intrigued by: “further research is needed to explore various ways to design and implement professional development programs that are learner-centered and subject-specific; show how to create technology-enhanced, learner-centered classrooms;” (An & Reigeluth, 2011). I’d like to focus on this specifically amongst my research as it is a problem I have seen firsthand within my own experiences, but I also feel this is something severely lacking amongst teacher preparation programs. The overwhelming number of technologies available to new teachers are creating barriers for new educators to build confidence in their own teaching early on. In conjunction with inquiry-based experiences, technology integration is a hot-button issue post-covid and I aim to make this the center of my research, and within my elevator pitch.

Sources
An, Y. J., & Reigeluth, C. (2011). Creating technology-enhanced, learner-centered classrooms: K–12 teachers’ beliefs, perceptions, barriers, and support needs. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 28(2), 54-62.