A case study of teacher use of technology: The decision beyond the barriers of time, training, and adequate equipment

The conceptualization of information has undergone major changes with the inception of technology development and use. Individuals have had to learn new skills to enable them to deal with the fast-paced changes occurring in the world of communication. Following the lead of the business world, schools have been confronted with the task of preparing students for the future by assisting them in becoming technology literate. This process has not been without problems, and technology integration has not been widely accepted throughout the educational community. A number of reasons have been cited throughout the literature in regard to teacher reticence to use technology. Among those are lack of time, inadequate equipment, and low emphasis on professional development to train teachers to use the technology effectively.;The purpose of this study was to determine why technology use is inconsistent among teachers when equipment, time, and training are in abundance and the environment of the school supports this use. To determine the reasons for the differential of use, a qualitative case study was conducted utilizing interviews, observation, and document analysis.;Six teachers at a residential high school for gifted juniors and seniors were selected, three frequent users and three infrequent users, to participate in the determination of the factors affecting why some teachers use technology while others are hesitant to implement much beyond the very basic use of video.;The results of the study determined that teachers view technology merely as a tool to support good instruction and not as a substitute for it. Teachers were willing to integrate new technologies when they believed that it would enhance their teaching or provide a better way of delivering instruction to their students. They were not willing to use technology because it was expected but did believe that their students should understand technology use in preparation for the future.;It was concluded that teachers should have an active voice in determining what technology should be implemented and how the process should occur. Ongoing technical support and required use were viewed as necessities to assist teachers in developing a comfort level that would encourage use.