Date of Award

Fall 12-2011

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Chair

Ronald A. Styron Jr.

Committee Chair Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 2

James T. Johnson

Committee Member 2 Department

Educational Studies and Research

Committee Member 3

Gaylynn A. Parker

Committee Member 3 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 4

David E. Lee

Committee Member 4 Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of interactive electronic white boards, an advanced technology, on the academic performance of kindergarten through fifth grade elementary students. The participants represent seven local school districts with approximately 700 teachers instructing 16,421 students. The research gathered data from the teachers through a questionnaire designed by the researcher. Student data was also gathered as well as perceptions of trainers, teachers and administrators.

The study was designed to examine the independent variables and the impact or effect it has on students’ achievement in a Kindergarten through fifth grade elementary classroom. The independent variables are level of degree the teacher holds, national board certification of the teacher, the time spent actively using the board in the classroom, and use of student response devices. The independent variables also investigated were the teacher’s perception about ease of use of an interactive electronic white board in the classroom, and administrator and teacher perception of student participation and enthusiasm.

The dependent variables collected were term grades and content by term grade or nine weeks test for available by terms. These grades were collected from each teacher based on general subjects, such as math, language and iii reading. Some teachers’ instructional responsibilities were for a single subject, two subjects, or as a self-contained teacher responsible for all subjects. The data was analyzed in SPSS with an ANOVA and t-test, as well as a Tukey multiple comparison analysis.

The data of the study revealed that teachers who use the interactive electronic white boards for 120 minutes or more per day had students who showed better scores than if the interactive electronic white boards were used for less than 120 minutes a day. The research also showed that trainers, teachers, and administrators had positive perceptions and views of the interactive electronic white boards as an instructional tool.

The recommendation for policy and practice is for teachers to increase the use of interactive electronic white boards as instructional tools in the classroom on a daily basis. It is also recommended that administrators provide professional development to assist teachers in developing best practices for the use of interactive electronic white boards in the classroom.

Future research should be designed to consider if there is a novelty effect associated with interactive electronic white boards. The interactive electronic white board is subject to an examination, as is any new resource. As the focus of this study, consideration must be made for the possibility that there is a novelty effect with interactive electronic white boards, and that student engagement, teacher enthusiasm, and motivation eventually decline over time. If the novelty effect is indeed a factor, researchers must determine at which point an interactive electronic white board loses its effect so that teachers can be aware of it.

Download

Share

COinS