A Study of Teacher Perceptions on the Relationship of One-To-One Technology (Chromebook) Initiative with Student Achievement of 21st Century Life and Career Skills.
By Gulay Maffia, Learning Consultant
“We need to prepare students for their future, not our past.” Ian Jukes
What are teachers’ perceptions of the one-to-one technology initiative in their districts? Do teachers perceive that the one-to-one initiative has a relationship with student achievement of 21stCentury Skills? Existing research supports that increased student and teacher skills are positively impacted with one-to-one technology programs. Skills such as information literacy and global awareness, critical thinking and problem solving have always been a part of human development. In addition, changes in local and global economies necessitate having these skills for success. U.S. author Marc Prensky introduced the term “digital native” in 2001 for the post-millennial generation emerging as the globe’s dominant demographic, innately familiar with the technological culture in which they are born. Our students are growing up in the digital age, preferring to learn with digital tools with which they have access on a personal level.
Figure 1 – The way we teach and learn has changed
On the other hand, in order for our students to meet the demands of 21st century and to be successful in a changing world, they need the skills to be able to sort through an enormous amount of data, work with anyone from around the world, and to be able to evaluate themselves.
The objective of my dissertation study is a data-based understanding of teachers’ perceptions on the impact of one-to-one ratio Chromebook use on student achievement of 21st Century Life and Career Skills, such as acting as responsible and contributing citizens and employees, utilizing critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, using technology to enhance productivity, and working productively in teams while using cultural global competence. The study is currently in IRB review. Once IRB approval is obtained, I will share my Google forms survey with a number of New Jersey public middle schools (grades 6 through 8) which are in their first year of a one-to-one technology initiative for the 2017-2018 academic year for volunteer teachers to complete anonymously.The study could
Figure 2 – Colleagues providing initial feedback for my research topic
potentially add to the existing body of research on the topic and inform future educational needs and technology use for student achievement. The doctoral program at Centenary University encourages an applied learning approach and choosing research topics relevant to one’s job. Understanding the impact of one-to-one Chromebook use on student achievement of 21st Century Skills from teachers’ point of view could help identify areas of need which could inform curriculum development related to technology use. My research topic already provided an increased opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at my school and the initial feedback is reassuring with middle school teachers regarding the practical implications of the study I am undertaking.