| Teachers are aware of the importance of digital technology in the 21st century and use it in their personal lives. At the same time, many teachers tend to integrate technology into the curriculum superficially or avoid it altogether. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to determine teachers' concerns contributing to their lack of use of digital technology with students in the curriculum. Teachers who do not use digital technology in their instruction have concerns that contribute to their resistance. The conceptual framework was drawn from three behavioral theories (adoption models): The Theory of Planned Behavior, The Diffusion of Innovation Theory, and The Concerns-Based Adoption Model. The site for my case study was a socio-economically and ethnically diverse school district in the northeast United States. All of the teachers in grades K--12 were given an opportunity to take part in the research. Data were collected in three phases. In Phase 1, 60 participants responded to a questionnaire and the responses were analyzed and interpreted according to Hall & Hord's Stages of Concern, indicating a typical nonuser profile. In Phase 2, nine participants volunteered to take part in follow-up interviews that were digitally recorded and transcribed. After two rounds of coding, six major themes emerged: lack of availability of technology, teachers' ability to integrate it, teachers' perceived obstacles, lack of professional development, importance of technology for 21st-century skills, and support from the district. In Phase 3, document analysis of the demographics and the budget of the district added to the data. The findings revealed concerns and barriers that teachers encountered. Actions are needed to help teachers embrace digital technology. Recommendations include: training for staff, purchasing up-to-date digital devices, hiring full-time instructional technology specialists, and Internet reliability. All are needed to assist teachers and students in gaining 21st-century skills. |
