Leadership Studies Ed.D. Dissertations

A Profile of Early 21ST Century Teachers of Northwest Ohio: The Relationship Between Teachers' Technology Integration and Leadership Practices

Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Rachel Vannatta Reinhart

Second Advisor

Jodi Haney (Committee Member)

Third Advisor

Terry Herman (Committee Member)

Fourth Advisor

Roger Schupp (Committee Member)

Fifth Advisor

Michael Short (Committee Member)

Abstract

In 2010, U. S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, encapsulated the national concern and immediate need for educational change in order to prepare our students for the 21st century by stating, “The urgency to improve our children's schools has never been greater.” Therefore, in order to develop students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in college, careers, and/or citizenship in the 21st century, teachers must be prepared—including, but not limited to, their pedagogical methodologies as well as their technological and leadership knowledge, skills, and practices.

The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between teachers' leadership practices and their classroom technology integration within the framework of ISTE NETS, Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and TPACK. Teachers (N = 361) from six northwest Ohio suburban school districts participated in the online 21st Century Technology Integration and Teacher Leadership (21-TITL) inventory, made up primarily of the Overall Technology Integration Scale (OTIS) and Teacher Leadership Practices Inventory (T-LPI), a modified version of Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI).

Numerous significant results were discovered, including: a correlated sixth T-LPI subscale (Refine the Craft); moderately correlated technology and leadership factors (Reflection and Modified Stage of Technology Adoption); a T-LPI subscale (Challenge the Process) that predicts Overall Technology Integration; a two-factor model that predicts Technology Integration, a six-factor model that predicts Teacher Leadership, and various group differences for both Overall Technology Integration (Technology Efficacy, Professional Development, Reflection, Modified Stage of Technology Adoption, Computers in the Classroom, Total Computing Hours Per Week, and Total Leadership Positions) and Leadership Practices (Gender-Female, Technology Efficacy, Social Trait-Extrovert, Professional Development, Reflection, Modified Stage of Technology Adoption, Computers in the Classroom, Total Computing Hours Per Week, and Total Leadership Positions).

Implications and recommendations are presented (relating to Classroom Technology Integration and Teacher Leadership Practices) for 21st century teachers, administrators, schools, and government or legislative leadership in order to preserve institutional knowledge and transform teaching and learning through support and funding for embedded, continual, reflective professional development focused on TPACK + Leadership (or CPTaLK).

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