School districts are employing instructional technology coaches more frequently to support teachers in adopting technology in their classroom instruction. However, many school districts still face challenges with technology adoption, raising concerns about the influence of instructional technology coaches on technology adoption. This case study…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of technology integration on third grade social studies students' academic performance and their engagement with the content of map skills at Peony Elementary. The study took place during the Fall of 2022 with 14 third grade social studies students. There is low academic performance and a lack…

This study explored student and teacher perspectives of technology use at Franklin Elementary School in South San Jose, CA, using qualitative, quantitative, and observational methods, including interviews, observations, and surveys. Thirteen teachers responded to a survey on educational technology use. Among this group, eleven provided interviews,…

The purpose of this study was to analyze modes of professional development that prepare educators to deliver STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) based instruction at the elementary school level through the integration of technology. The study demonstrates the complexity and advantages of STEM centered learning which utilize…

This dissertation explores the strategies of personalized learning through AI and its effectiveness, with a focus on third-grade mathematics education. The primary objective is to investigate how AI tools can tailor learning experiences to individual needs, particularly for students who struggle academically, and thereby help reduce educational…

In the southeastern United States, many local school districts have mandated an increased use of instructional technology to address low reading proficiency among English language learners (ELLs). However, local district leaders and stakeholders concurred that additional research was needed to explore how teachers were using technology in their…

Researchers have indicated that educators integrate technology based on their perspectives. Despite the increased expectation for educators to integrate technology into the daily academic environment, there has not been a significant improvement in outcomes in the critical area of literacy. In this basic qualitative study, the research questions…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore a possible relationship between remote learning with 1:1 devices and reading performance for third graders in a school district in Tennessee by comparing differences between universal screener reading data from fall 2020 and universal screener reading data from both fall 2018 and fall 2019.…

This study investigated the understudied area of virtual reality (VR) creation among elementary-aged youth, exploring their engagement in VR creation and the ways in which educators can facilitate this creative process. Using an embedded case study, the researcher examined how the youth visualize writing using the VR creation tool, CoSpaces. To…

This dissertation consists of three papers. In each paper, I leverage a different quantitative method to study a downstream effect of technology on educational outcomes. In the first paper, I study the impact of an online math learning program on 3rd through 5th grade math achievement in Louisiana. Employing Zearn Math usage metrics and…

The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of technology integrated gamification strategies on third-grade students' engagement in an art classroom at an elementary school with a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) based curriculum. To increase student engagement, educators and evaluators not only need to…

This developmental research aims to: (1) examine the developmental processes of the application called MagicSpells, a haptically-enhanced, digital, vocabulary acquisition application design for learners with dyslexia, (2) investigate the structure and design of the application, and (3) analyze the results of the reviews and usability tests…

The purpose of this study is to examine first through fifth-grade teachers' beliefs regarding whether technology integration relates to increased student academic performance. This study was created to analyze what the most influential factors are when it comes to using technology in the classroom that could increase student academic performance.…

Educators need to provide students with opportunities to engage with digital texts to support their development in becoming digitally literate (Plowman et al., 2012). The purpose of this practitioner research inquiry was to explore how teachers can support readers in the meaning-making process during read alouds with picture e-books, which contain…

A theoretical framework grounded in constructionism and pragmatism theories supported research on learning by doing. This framework underpinned the purpose of this qualitative case study to explore how K-8 STEM teachers facilitated projects utilizing innovative technologies to solve community-based problems. The problem was a lack of connection…