Adoption of computing: The experience of six teachers.

Abstract

This study explored the adoption of computing by teachers who have successfully integrated computing into their classroom practices. The intent was to surface themes that were significant in the experience of successful adopters and to contribute to an underst and ing of the adoption phenomenon from their perspective. The six informants were selected from teachers nominated as successful adopters by technology resource persons in a southeastern Michigan county. Each informant was observed in her/his classroom and participated in five open-ended interviews, four individual interviews and one whole-group interview. Data analysis yielded a case report for each teacher and a set of themes that were used to create a description of the informants' adoption of computing. Following a presentation of theory discovered and grounded in the reports of the six teachers, the findings are discussed in light of previous scholarly work. Most notable is the finding that the informants did not make a conscious decision to proceed or not to proceed--adoption was inevitable. For informants, computing meant excitement, play, and educational value. Conditions that were associated with successful adoption were: availability of resources; compatibility of computing to existing values, self-images, practices, and environment; a strong sense of self-efficacy and a psychological state of self-actualization. The themes common in the informants' experience suggest that those who approach and adopt computing might expect to encounter: challenge, a feeling of being awash in the unknown, the need for personal investment and absorption, an increasing sense of control and mastery, a feeling of "always something new" and multiple options, recognition as a "computer user," some frustration, and the expression of the self. While computing represented a dramatic change in their school settings and a revolutionary change in their lives, the adopters in this study felt they had not changed. They used computing in ways that reiterated existing self-images and values. Two important implications for teacher training are made. First, empowering competent teachers can be an effective tool for change in the school setting. Secondly, all that contributes to the preparation of good teachers will continue to be important as a preparation for realizing the potential of educational technology.