Understanding Factors Influencing Teachers' Use of Technologies in Teaching STEM

Georgia L. Bracey, Mary L. Stephen

2015

Abstract

Teachers’ adoption of technology continues to be challenging; yet, this is a critical process in the effective teaching of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Although more schools are providing technology-rich classrooms, teachers are not always incorporating the new technologies into their teaching practice in a meaningful way. In this three-year case study, we used a grounded theory approach to examine the experiences of two high school teachers working in a depressed urban setting as they began using a newly designed, innovative, high-tech STEM classroom. Data sources included semi-structured interviews and direct observation. We identified three themes related to technology use: personal learning preference, teaching philosophy, and perception of technology. We discuss these themes, highlighting examples from participants’ experiences and beliefs, as well as other factors impacting technology use that emerged during the study. These results will be of value to those supporting teachers’ integration of technology into their teaching practice.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

L. Bracey G. and L. Stephen M. (2015). Understanding Factors Influencing Teachers' Use of Technologies in Teaching STEM . In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU, ISBN 978-989-758-108-3, pages 127-138. DOI: 10.5220/0005493101270138

in Bibtex Style

@conference{csedu15,
author={Georgia L. Bracey and Mary L. Stephen},
title={Understanding Factors Influencing Teachers' Use of Technologies in Teaching STEM},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU,},
year={2015},
pages={127-138},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0005493101270138},
isbn={978-989-758-108-3},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU,
TI - Understanding Factors Influencing Teachers' Use of Technologies in Teaching STEM
SN - 978-989-758-108-3
AU - L. Bracey G.
AU - L. Stephen M.
PY - 2015
SP - 127
EP - 138
DO - 10.5220/0005493101270138