This qualitative investigation of a rural North Carolina elementary school aimed at discovering teacher perceptions of technology and its value in improving classroom teaching and learning. It also examined the barriers perceived by the teachers, which discouraged them from using technology in the classroom. The researcher conducted a qualitative…

The COVID-19 global pandemic caused a sudden shift from in-person instruction to virtual learning for fifth-grade teachers and students in Title 1 elementary schools. Through professional development opportunities, fifth-grade teachers had to adjust instructional practices to facilitate virtual learning and adopt and embrace new teaching methods…

The study examines teacher perspectives on preparedness to implement the transition of over 50 million K-12 students to online and virtual teaching formats. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, students were instructed to remain at home and to avoid the potential dangers of virus spread in schools. Once this transition began, and then…

The author of this article utilized a Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional technology and STEM opportunities for girls and students of color in their role as a K-5 Instructional Technology Facilitator (ITF). By defining Critical Race Theory, the role of the ITF can be leveraged to provide equitable…

This study explored the year-long development of 159 (N = 159) novice K-2 teachers' self-efficacy for literacy instruction, within a literacy-specific induction initiative with sixteen high-need, predominantly rural school districts. Findings reveal novice teachers' self-efficacy for literacy instruction grew significantly throughout the year.…

The purpose of this study was to examine how teacher instructional practices aligned with digital learning environments. The following four research questions guided this investigation: How do teachers demonstrate leadership in digital learning? How do teachers model and teach digital citizenship? How do teachers use digital content and resources…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of 11 special education teachers, who implemented iPads as an instructional tool for elementary students with intellectual disabilities. This study was conducted in a North Carolina school district. The theories, which guided this study were Vygotsky's…

The purpose of this study was to engage practitioners in collaborative inquiry in order to examine the concept of flipped learning. At the core of this concept is the notion of flipping or reversing traditional instructional practice with traditional homework. Nine teachers across three grade spans, K-5, 6-8, and 9-12 and three non-instructional…

Beginning in spring 2013, students in seven elementary schools throughout the Project LIFT zone in Charlotte, North Carolina began to receive XO laptops provided by the organization One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) for use both within their classroom and at home. This report details Research for Action's (RFA) mixed-method evaluation of the first year…

In this article the authors present a confirmatory factor analysis of the Teachers' Attitudes Toward Computers (TAC) and the Teachers' Attitudes Toward Information Technology (TAT) scales by Christensen and Knezek (1996, 1998) using large samples from three states. The TAC was reduced from 98 items and nine factors to 35 items and eight factors,…

Eight teams of elementary and middle school teachers developed pilot online courses for the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) in the USA. A qualitative case study with focus groups and a follow-up survey helped to identify common needs of these non-traditional course designers during course development efforts. Findings suggest virtual…