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This article shares the findings of a mixed-method study about the implementation of 1:1 computing in a small rural Florida school district. Researchers used multiple regression analyses to examine whether Davis ' (1989) Technology Acceptance Model helped explain teachers ' adoption of 1:1. The results indicated that the rural teachers' perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of 1:1 were significant predictors of both whole class and individualized instructions with 1:1. The qualitative phase of the study explored the ways in which the teachers integrated 1:1 into their instructional practices and what factors motivated them to do so. The analysis showed that the teachers used 1:1 largely to foster digital literacy and collaboration as well as to conduct student assessment. Reasons why the teachers integrated 1:1 into instruction, included increasing student engagement, personalizing learning, and facilitating teacher productivity.
For decades, rural education advocates have argued that rural students represent a forgotten minority (Azano & Stewart, 2015). Teachers in rural school districts have unique challenges, including a high concentration of low socioeconomic status (SES) students living in small and often geographically isolated communities (Azano & Stewart, 2015). Decreased funding and a "digital divide" that exists between rural schools and their suburban and urban counterparts have made it difficult for many rural districts to implement new instructional technologies (Sundeen & Sundeen, 2013). According to a report published by the Pew Research Center, 85% of suburban residents, 85% of urban residents, and 75% of rural residents have access to the Internet (Perrin & Duggan, 2016). Given this disparity in Internet access, children living in rural communities may have fewer opportunities to use digital devices than their urban and suburban counterparts. These shortcomings in technology access may also be exasperated by the lower overall SES of rural school contexts (Dolan, 2016). A study by Hohlfeld, Ritzhaupt, Dawson, and Wilson (2017) found that students in low SES schools used computers significantly more often for drill and practice and for free time. Conversely, the researchers noted that higher SES schools more frequently had students use technology for the development of higher-order thinking skills and analyses (Hohlfeld et al., 2017). These challenges translate into an even greater gap between those who possess the latest technologies and digital literacy skills, and those...