The Dynamics of Technology Diffusion in Classroom Instruction

Summary of Study Since the beginning of the twentieth century, many educators have been faced with the difficult challenge of educational reform. Changes in education often occur as new demands are placed on schools by an ever-changing society. The integration of various forms of technology such as film, radio, television, and now computers, have all been heralded as effective instructional tools which would transform the American Public School system. Each of these innovations was expected to become an integral part of classroom instruction, which would dramatically improve the overall educational experiences of generations of students. However, the acceptance, or more precisely the role of technology in the classroom remains problematic. Despite the promise of a technological transformation for learning environments, the full promise of computer-based technology has not yet been realized. “The anticipated effect on teachers ’instructional methods and increased student achievement has failed to materialize. While the number of computers in the classroom continues to increase and tremendous support for technology integration exists in government, business, and academia; a major discrepancy exists between the level of technology use expected of educators and the actual use of technology in the classroom. While evidence supports the importance of integrating technology into classroom instruction, the increasing efforts to use technology in schools has created significant new challenges for educators as well as students. These challenges arise from various factors that act as barriers when teachers try to integrate technology into their classroom instruction. These barriers might include but are not limited to teachers’ negative attitudes and beliefs about technology, teachers’ lack of technological proficiency, increased teacher workloads, resistance to organizational change, financial limitations, time restraints, low teacher moral, and lack of professional development opportunities. Educators often make the final determination whether or not they will use computer-based technology in their classroom instruction. This might suggest that teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about technology will be the driving force that accepts or rejects the innovation. Teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about the importance of technology are the strongest predictors of computer use in schools.