Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education
Advisor
James A. Pietrovito
Committee Member
Susan A. Torbenson
Committee Member
Ronald P. Kern
Keywords
adjunct faculty, educational technology, technology integration, university administrators, faculty perceptions, focus groups, higher education, professional development, survey research, technology proficiency, Web 2.0 technologies
Abstract
The purpose of this applied dissertation was to gain an understanding of adjunct faculty members’ perceptions about integrating educational technology in the classroom. Surveys were distributed to adjunct faculty at the targeted university to collect quantitative data to determine perceptions about educational technology and integration in the classroom. In addition, two focus groups consisting of university administrators were held to discuss the target university’s perceptions and expectations of the both university and adjunct faculty members with regards to technology integration in the classroom.
There were 25 procedures used to complete this study. First, a literature review was completed. Next, formative and summative committees were established for validation purposes. This involved the committees reviewing the research questions, creating the survey, and validating the survey. In addition, the focus groups were planned. The final steps included piloting the survey, inviting the adjuncts to participate, and administering the survey, holding the focus group meetings, and analyzing the data. The quantitative data revealed that adjunct faculty members perceived themselves as generally strong integrators of technology, which corresponded to studies found in the literature review. However, the data also revealed that these adjunct faculty members are not all integrating high-level Web 2.0 technologies but instead focusing on more low-level computer-based technologies.
The qualitative data collected from the focus group meeting contrasted somewhat with the adjunct faculty member’s perceptions of technology integration. The focus group administrators seemed to have perceptions of a faculty not as technology proficient as the survey data seemed to indicate. The focus groups also revealed that the university does not have a clear vision or expectations for technology integration in the classroom by adjunct faculty members.