Education Department M.Ed. in Educational Leadership / M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction EDUC 5324 Integrating Technology into Education Name:______Hatice Iscioglu__________
Date: _________09/21/2016_________
Cite the reviewed article in APA format:
Waxman, H. C., Boriack, A. W., Lee, Y., & MacNeil, A. (2013). Principals Perceptions of the Importance of Technology in Schools. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, 4(3), 187-196. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from http://www.cedtech.net/articles/43/433.pdf INTRODUCTION Research Questions (if research questions are not specifically mentioned, what is the theoretical background or overarching theme): The research is based on two questions. What do principals think about the importance of using technology? Are principals thoughts different from each other according to their gender and experience? Purpose of the research: Purpose of the research is to figure out principals perspectives about technology. Research is also based on those perspectives changes by gender and year of experience. METHODOLOGY What is the methodology for the research or approach used to understand the issue? Provide information regarding the following: Participants: Research conducted by graduate students from 310 participants who were principals on southwest. They answered interview questions about importance of technology in their schools. 126 of participants was male, and 184 was female. As experience matters, 104 of them had 0-3 years of experience, 82 of them was with 4-7 years, 55 of them was with 8-11 years, 32 of them was with 12-15 years, and 31 of them was with 15+ years. Procedures: Graduate students who were in Education Leadership Program, asked interview questions to the participant principals. Questions was prepared to learn principals perception about how important to use technology in their schools. Students were trained about how to administer the instrument, and conduct the interview.
Data Collection Methods/Data Source:
The study was based on only those interview conducted by graduate students in Education Leadership Program. Data Analysis: Principals responses read several times, and divide into categories. After it categorized, another person outside of those who conduct the interview prepared a sample response for 10%. By inter-coded reliability, they compared the responses and saw that they were matching in general sense. According to article it says Cohens kappa: 0.94 which is a high level of agreement. RESULTS Findings or Results (or main points of the article): As a result of their response of major function of technology, they fixed results in six categories. Those are (from most popular to least) communication tools, classroom instruction, resource, data sharing, administrative tasks, and student learning. This order did not changed much by gender. But significant change was resource, instruction, and administrative tasks said more from males; student learning said more females. Even though percentages are fairly similar, it became complex. The most said communication was the principals with 0-3 years experience (38.5%), for student learning was principals with 4-7 years, for instruction, resource and administrative tasks was 15+ years, and for data sharing was principals with 1215 years. Principals with 8-11 years was in the middle for each one. DISCUSSIONS Conclusions/Implications (for your profession): As technology improves and goes into the education, students and teachers are using technology in classrooms. Besides students and teachers, principals are also technology leaders and should integrate that technology. This research shows that principals sees the technology important for communication, instruction, resource, administrative tasks, data sharing, and student learning. This also varies with gender and years of experience. At the end of the article, it suggest that the principle preparation program should include technology as well. REFLECTIONS Students Reflections (changes to your understanding; implications for your school/work): As a candidate teacher I was thinking more about importance of technology as a resource, instruction and student learning. From principles perspective it is also a communication tool, data sharing & management, and administrative tasks. There was some difference between gender and experience but it was not a very huge difference. It did not change my understanding of importance of technology. It makes easier for us to manage data, and to teach, it also makes the class interesting and easy to learn for students. It was very interesting that student learning was very low according to the percentage of principals response.