| The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify major factors that are viewed as contributing to successful implementation of computer technology in schools. The study also revealed the roles played by students, teachers, administrators, technology coordinators, community members, and district office personnel in the implementation.;Interviews were conducted with twenty-five participants including teachers, administrators, technology coordinators, community members, and students in three schools in a large suburban school system in the Southeastern United States between September and November of 1994. Four interviews with technology coordinators from other areas of the country were also conducted via an online telecommunications service. A questionnaire, on-site observations, and document analysis provided additional data for triangulation.;Eight major factors were found to contribute to successful implementation of computer technology in the sites studied: the skill with which the staff integrated the use of technology into the curriculum; the availability of numerous, high-quality, staff development opportunities; supportive, visionary leadership; a climate in which the use of technology is both encouraged and rewarded; support from the community; the availability of hardware and software; the presence of on-site technology expertise; and a strong collaboration between and among the staff, students, and community at large.;Other findings included a classification of the role(s) participants played in the overall technology implementation, a construct for the examination and expansion of a computer technology implementation, and recommendations for further study. |
