The Relationship between Teachers' Computer Self-Efficacy and Technology Integration in a School District's Bring Your Own Technology Initiative

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods program evaluation study was to investigate the ways in which one public school district and its teachers implemented a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) initiative. This study also measured teachers' computer self-efficacy, as measured by Cassidy and Eachus' (2002) Computer User Self-Efficacy Scale, and investigated the relationship between the teachers' computer self-efficacy and use of BYOT. The study sought to discover the successes and challenges the teachers in the district faced with implementation in their schools and classrooms. Participants included teachers in the four high schools in the district. The study used the CIPP model of program evaluation to guide data collection on the context, input, process, and products of the BYOT program. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected using teacher surveys, extant student surveys conducted by the district, teacher interviews, and classroom observations. The successes teachers had included student engagement, ease of classroom research, and productivity uses of student-owned technology. The challenges teachers faced included students' inappropriate use of technology, difficulty accessing the district's wireless network, and the task of monitoring students using BYOT. The teachers in the district had high computer self-efficacy, but its relationship to successful integration of technology was unclear. Recommendations for future research and continuous program improvement include providing appropriate bandwidth for successful BYOT programs, a process for managing students' use of BYOT, and appropriate professional development to support integration of BYOT into classroom instruction. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone [phone]. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]